76                                                                                                            T H E   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
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                     The  mformed Free Publishing Association
                            Box 124, Sta. C., &and Rapids, Mich,                                                                                                                                  As To Conditions
                                   EDITOR: - Rev.  K. Eoeksema.
Contributing Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                         The teaching of the Canons of Dordrecht, in regard
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev.  53. Kok,                                                                                                                      to the subject we are now discussing, is very clear and
Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                        emphatic.  -
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                                        On the one hand they present *election as uncon-
Rev. W. Hofman.                                                                                                                                                                   ditional  and, absolute. The Remonstrants, as we all
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to
REV. II. HOEKSEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S: E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                       know, did not literally deny the Scriptural truth of
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                         election, but made it contingent upon the faith of man,
  Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                     and upon his perseverance to the end. But our fathers
to MR. J. BOUWMAN,  1131 Sigsbee St., SE., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                                        of Dosdt,  rejected the' Arminian doctrine, and main-
Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                                                                          tained that election is unconditional and absolute. It
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                                                    is not contingent upon anything in man, or upon any-
notice.
Renewals  *.-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-                                                                                                                  thing that he can do or must accomplish, but rests in
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                                                 the sole good pleasure of His will.
to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                                It is defined as follows :
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
                               (Subscription Price $2.50 per year)                                                                                                                   "Election is the unchangeable purpose of God,
                                                                                                                                                                                  whereby, before the foundation of the world, he hath
                                                                                                                                                                                  out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good
                                                                                                                                                                                  pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human
                                                                                                                                                                                  race, which had fallen through their own fault, from
                                                                                                                                                                                  their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruc-
                                                                                                                                                                                  tion, a certain number of persons to redemption in
                                                      C O N T E N T S                                                                                                             Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator
                                                                                                                                                                                  and Head of the elect, and the foundation of salvation;"
MBDITATIONL                                                                                                                                                                       Canons of Dordt, I, $A, 7.             '
      Lovensstof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  * . . . . . . ..*........ 73       Here we have, as YOU will notice, an infralapsarian
                 Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                      definition of election. But it teaches very emphatically
EDITORIALS--.                                                                                                                                                                     that election is unconditional, and that it rests only in
      As To Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 "the sovereign good pleasure of his own  wil1".
                 Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                    And this alone would be sufficient to rule out a11
T H E   *TRIPLE   K N O W L E D G E -                                                                                                                                             possibility of speaking .of conditions in connection with
      Exposition Of The Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78 salvation. For it must be evident to all, that if election,
                 Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                 from which all our salvation flows, is absolute,  salva-
OUR  DOCTRINX-                                                                                                                                                                    tixr itself, whether in the objective or in the subjective
      The Counsel Of God (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *...* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 sense of the word, can never be said to be conditional
                 Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                  on anything man must do..         -
                                                                                                                                                                                     But this is not all.
           Reply To Dr. K. Schilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
      Christ Brought                                                                                                                                                                 The Canons do not leave it to us to draw the con-
                                                      AS A `Lamb To The Slaughter . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
                 Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                clusion from their definition of the truth. of election,
                                                                                                                                                                                  that salvation is unconditional, and that faith may
SION'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                   never be presented as a condition  <unto salvation, but
      Jehova Tot Adonai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I..............................................  91
                  Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                     they also state this truth clearly.
                                                                                                                                                                                     Already in the same article in which the definition
FROM HOLY  WRIT-                                                                                                                                                                  of election occurs, quoted above, we read:
           Exposition bn Hebrews 12:5 and 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  94                                                                                                                         i
      . Rev. G. Lubbers                                                                                                                                                              "This elect number, though by nature neither bet-
                                                                                                                                                                                  ter nor more deserving than others, but with them in-
           Doings In Doon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I.............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96,
                  J. Vanden  Top,                                                                                                                                                 volved in one common misery, God hath decreed to
                                                                                                                                                                                  give to Christ, to be saved by Him, and effectually to
                                                                                                                                                                                  call and to draw them to his communion by his Word


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                 77

and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justifica- for the concept  faith  as a  condition  in the article quoted
tion and sanctification."                                       above. For faith does not occur as a condition in the
   It is plain from this article that faith, together counsel of God, and if it does not occur in that relation
with all the other blessings of salvation, is a gift of in God's eternal purpose, it cannot possibly occur in
God which flows from the unconditional decree of that relation in the historical realization of salvation,
God, and is, therefore, never itself to be presented as a nor in the experience and consciousness of the people
condition.                                                      of God. We are not chosen, and therefore, we are not
   But this truth is expressed still more clearly. in saved on condition of faith, or of the obedience of
other articles of the Canons.                                   faith; but we are chosen to  faith, and  to  the obedience
   Beautiful, in this respect, is the language of Art. 8 of faith, and, therefore, we are saved through the
of I, A, which presents the counsel of God as the only instrument of faith, and in. the way of obedience.
source of all, our salvation, for according to that             That, and that only is Reformed language.
counsel and purpose of his own will, "he hath chosen               The same Arminian use of the term condition is
us from eternity, both to grace and glory, to  saltiation       referred to in the very next article of the Canons, I, A,
and the way of salvation, ,which he h&h orduined  that IO. There we read:
we should walk therein." (cursives are mine). How                   "The good pleasure of God is the' sole cause of this
clearly and beautifully it is expressed here that the gracious election ; which  doth not consist herein, that
whole of salvation is determined by the counsel of out of all possible qualities and actions of men God
God ! Salvation and the way of salvation, regenera- has chosen some as a condition of salvation; but that
tion, calling, faith, justification, sanctification, perse- he was pleased out of the common mass of `sinners to
verance, and glorification,-it is all of God. And not adopt some certain `persons as a peculiar people to
only that, but He has- also ordained that the elect himself  ."
should, and do walk in that way. How utterly im-                    The meaning of this is plain. The  Arminians
possible it is, then, to conceive. of faith as a condition denied the truth of personal election. Instead, they
which man must fulfill in order to obtain salvation, or invented the theory that God had selected certain quali-
to enter into the covenant of God !                             ties as  a  condition of salvation. The chief of these
   That this is, indeed, the meaning of the. Canons             qualities is, of course, faith. Hence, the Arminians
is evident also from I, A, art. 9. There we read:               drew the conclusion, that, in the counsel of God, and,
   "This election was not founded upon foreseen faith, therefore, also in reality, faith appears as a condition
and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good of salvation. But note, that our fathers rejected this
quality or disposition in man, as a prerequisite, cause notion, and emphasized the  trmh of unconditional and
or condition on which it depended ; but men are chosen personal election. Again I say that the term con&&n
to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc., or faith as a c&Son is an Arminian term. We should
therefore election is *he fountain of every saving good ; not even attempt to use it in a sound sense. For by
from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts making this attempt, we willfuhy classify ourselves
of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits with the Arminians. And why should we want to
and effects."                                                   adopt their language? There is absolutely no need for
    Notice, first of all, that here, for the-first time, the    it in Reformed terminology.
term condition. is used. But it is put in the mouth                Again, the same denotation of the term  condition,.
of the Remonstrants. We will call attention to this i.e. in the Arminian sense, is referred to in the "Rejec-
again, for in the Canons we will meet with the term tion of Errors" under  ca'put I of the Canons.
conditions more often, but always in the same con-                 We read in I, B, 3 : (The true doctrine concerning
demnatory sense. To the fathers of Dordt it  repro-             Election and Rejection having been explained, the
sents,  not a Reformed, but an Arminian notion. This Synod rejects the errors of those) ;
should certainly teach us a lesson. Dr. Schilder wrote             "Who teach: That the good pleasure and purpose
in one of his articles in De Reform&e that there are            of God, .of which Scripture makes mention in the doc-
Reformed people that are "vuurbang" i.e. afraid as of trine of election, does not consist in this, that God
fire, of the term "condition". Well, I belong to them. chose certain persons rather than others, but in this
And I dare say that I am in good company. The that he chose out of all possible conditions (among
.fathers  of Dordt also were "vuurbang" of the term,            which are also the works of the law), or out of the                     '
witness the fact that they never use it for the positive        whole order of things, the act of faith which from
exposition of the Reformed truth,  aIthough they were its very nature is undeserving, as well as its incomplete                    .
well acquainted with the term, but always `mentioned it obedience, as a condition of salvation,. and that he
as an Arminian term expressing an Arminian idea. would  graciousIy  consider this in itself as a. complete
And why, pray, should we play with fire?                        obedience and count it worthy of the reward of eternal
   For the rest, it is very plain that there is no room life. For by this injurious error the pleasure of God                 .

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

and the merits of Christ are made of none effect, and alliance, between the infinite God and the speck of dust
men are drawn away by useless questions from the that is man; and therefore they usually admit that it
truth of gracious justification, and from the simplicity is unilateral in its establishment. But if this be true,
of Scripture, and this declaration of the Apostle is it depends throughout on God alone. It is no longer a
charged as untrue: `who saved us, and called us with pact; it has no conditions ; and God sovereignly per-
a holy calling, not according to our works, but accord- forms all that belongs to the establishment and realiza-
ing to his own purpose and grace, which was given tion of the covenant. He alone, and sovereignly, deter-
us in Christ Jesus before times eternal.' II Tim. 1:9."        mines who are to be received into the covenant rela-
      After what I wrote above on I, A, 10, it is not tion with Him; and on His faithfulness alone it is
necessary to  comment  elaborately on this article. I based. God is faithful: that is the reason why the
quote it here chiefly because it furnishes another proof covenant is eternal. He maintains it: that is why ii
for my contention that the term condition, and faith cannot be broken. It is an everlasting covenant.
a~ a condition  is not Reformed, but Arminian, and for            And here lies another reason why the Scriptural
that reason should be scrupulously avoided by us. idea of the covenant cannot be correctly represented by
When the Arminians teach that, in the counsel, of God, those notions of it that make it a way to salvation,
faith and the incomplete obedience are chosen by God or a means to an end. It is an everlasting covenant:
as a condition of salvation, they mean, of course, to "I will make an everlasting covenant of peace with
deny sovereign election and reprobation, and to pre- you." Isaiah 55  :3. "I will make an everlasting cove-
sent'salvation  as a matter that is contingent upon the nant with them." Isaiah  61% "And I will make an
freewill  of'man. &rch is the implication of the term everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn
in  the thought-structure of the Arminians throughout. away from them, to do them good;, but I will put my
And our fathers, understanding very well that words fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from
not only have meaning in themselves, but deserve signi- me." Jer. 32~40. "Moreover I will make a covenant
ficance also from the  usu.s  loquendi; i.e. from the com- of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant
mon use of a term, avoided it altogether.                      with them: and I will place them, and multiply them,
      We will do well if we follow their example.              and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for
                                                      H. H.    evermore.`" Ezek. 37:26. Similarly our Baptism Form
                                                               speaks of an eternal covenant of grace. Now's way
                                                               is not everlasting: when the destination is reached,
                                                               the way is come to an end. A ,means  is not eternal:
              .-._l____--                                      when the thing to be effected by it has been attained,
-THE  TRIF'LE KNOWLEDGE
-..-..                                                         the means has served its purpose. An everlasting
                                                               covenant, therefore, is not a way or a means, but is
                                                               the destination, the end itself. It is not accidental, but
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg essential.
                      Catechism                                    We must, therefore, look for a definition of the
                                                               idea of the covenant in a different direction.
                        PART TWO                                                       9 *`a  *
             O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n                                         3.
                  LORD'S DAY*XXVII,                                             The Idea Of The Covenant.
                                                                  We can agree with Dr. Bavinck when he states that
                              2.                               the covenant is the very essence of religion,-of re-
        Different Views Of The Covenant. (cont.)               ligion, that is, in the sense of fellowship with the
                                                               living  ,God.    And we would express this somewhat
      To this we may  .add the consideration that this more clearly and concisely by maintaining that the
follows  also  from the fact that the covenant is his- very essence of the covenant is fellowship with the
torically established in the line of continued gen "I- ever blessed God. We can also agree with Dr. Kuyper
tions and that infants as well as adults are compre- when he defines the covenant as an act of friendship.
hended in the covenant of God. How could they be And again, we would emphasize this idea by insisting ,
included in the covenant if the establishment of it that the covenant itself is essentially a relation, a bond,
were  a pact and depended upon the consent of the of friendship. Accordingly, we would define the idea
covenanting parties. Reformed theologians generally of the covenant as that living bond of fellowship be-
have felt that it is absurd to speak of the covenant as tween God and man that assumes the particular form
an agreement, a mutual alliance, between the infinite of friendship. And by friendship we mean such a bond
God and the covenant as an agreement, a mutual                 of fellowship and intimate communion of love that


                                     T H E S T A N D A R D   BEAR:E#                                              79

 subsists between persons on the basis of the highest of friendship. The Father  ,knows  and beholds and
 possible equality, but that differ in respect to personal loves the Son through the Spirit. The Son knows and
 properties. Friends have no secrets ; they enter into loves and beholds the Father through the Spirit. The
 each other's life. And this is possible only on the         Holy Ghost, searching the depths of God, knows the
 basis of equality.. Like knows like. On the other hand, Father through the Son in Himself. The covenant life
 true friendship is fellowship; and fellowship cannot of the triune God is the ultimate ground for the cove-
 subsist between persons that are identical in every nant relationship between God and the creature.
 respect. They must supplement each other. Perfect              That this idea of the covenant is based on the teach-
 friendship is a bond between persons that together ing of Holy Writ is not dfffidult to demonstrate. *.-,En
form a perfect unity, that lacks nothing, and into which paradise God reveals Himself to Adam and speaks to
 no other can ever enter. Hence, on the basis of equality .Him as a Friend with His friend; and Adam knew God
 there must also be personal distinction. And the idea in the cool of day. The first creation is.concentrated
 of the covenant is briefly expressed in the term friend-    in Paradise, the house of God. Paradise has its signifi-
 ship, or bond of friendship, between God and man.           cant center in the tree of life, that symbol of life in
 In that bond God is the Friend-Sovereign, Who reveals       God's fellowship. And the whole is concentrated in
 Himself to man, leads him into the secrets of His man, who is placed over the whole house of God to
 counsel, opens His heart to him, and causes him to have dominion over all creatures. In the heart of man
 taste His blessed grace. And man is the friend-servant is the ethical center of the whole creation.            And
 of God, who -dwells in His house, walks and talks with through that heart all creation is united to the heart
 Him, loves him with his whole being, and consecrates of God..  Adam is the house-servant of God in the cove-
 himself and all things in the house of God to His praise nant friendship., ,Of the early saints we read that they .
 and glory. Indeed, the covenant is the very essence of walked with God, a term denoting intimate fellowship
 religion.                                                   and friendship. Gen. 5  :22; 6 :8.. We read that they
    The deepest ground of this covenant relationship talk with God, that God reveals His counsel to them
 between God and man is the triune God Himself, of and hides nothing from them. Gen. 6 :13 ; 9 :9 ; 18 :l?ff.
 Whose triune life it is at the same time the highest Abraham is called the friend of God. Is. 4l:Y ; James
 revelation. For God is in Himself, apart from any 2:23.  To Moses the Lord spoke as a man speaketh
 relation to the creature, a covenant God. For He is         with his friend. Ex. 31 :ll. And the Lord knew him
 one in Being, yet three in Persons. The equality face to face. Moreover, it is the idea of the covenant
 of the Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that is symbolized in the tabernacle and the temple,
 is absolue, for it rests in the oneness of the divine expressing the idea of God's dwelling with  Hisgeople
 essence:  #One in being and nature; one in mind and under one roof. And it is well-known that the covenant
 will, one in all the essential and ethical attributes, in relation. between God and Israel is presented as a
 eternity and immensity and immutability and indepen- marriage relation, that most intimate of all human
 dency, in simplicity and sovereignty, in knowledge and relationships, and that unfaithfulness, too, and trans-
 wisdom, in holiness and righteousness, in grace and gression of the covenant is called adultery. The high-
 beauty, in love and mercy,-absolutely one and equal est realization of the relation of `God's people to Him
 are the Three Persons of the Godhead. In infinite per- in Christ is expressed in the words of the'sacerdotal
 fection they enter into one another's nature and life. prayer 3 "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be
 Each knows the others as he is known, yet they are perfect in one." John  17:23. Almost defined is this
 personally distinct and possess their own personal pro- idea of the covenant in Psalm 25 :14: "The secret `of
 perties, as is expressed in their personal names. The the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show
 Father eternally subsists in the divine Essence as them his covenant." . ,The Church is the temple of the
 Father, the Son as Son, the Holy Ghost as Spirit. And, living God, and she has the promise: "I will dwell in
 yet, also in their threeness they constitute a complete- them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and
 ness, a unity, an exclusive whole or union.        They they shall be my people." II Cor. 6 :16. And the end of
 belong together. No other person could possibly be all, the highest realization of God's purposes of salva-
 conceived as added to that adorable threeness. The tion, is expressed in the words of the great voice out of
 Father generates the Son and breathes forth the Spirit heaven : "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
 unto the Son. The Son is generated by the Father and and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
 breathes forth the Spirit unto the `Father. The Holy people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be
 Spirit proceeds from the Father to the Son as the Itheir God.`" Rev.  21:3.  In `the new Jerusalem God's
 Spirit of the Father, and returns as the Spirit of the people shall walk in the light of the glory of God, and
 Son unto the Father. .And on the basis of that absolute they shall see His face. Rev. 22:4.  God's covenant of
 equality by personal distinction the Three `Persons of friendship shall have been realized in its highest
 the  Holy  Trinity live an eternally perfect covenant  life heavenly perfection.

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

      Reformed theology is no doubt correct when it Him, we repeat with emphasis that in the eternal
emphasizes that the reason for and purpose of all the good pleasure of God the risen and glorified Christ
works of God aal extra is the glory of #God. God,wills        is the firstborn of every creature. In Him God wants
to glorify Himself ; and God's Self-glorification is His to reveal His glory. He is the highest central realiza-
revelation, the revelation of all His glorious and blessed tion of that likeness of God which is the conditici sine
virtues in the greatest possible creaturely measure and qm non for the highest possible realization of God's
on the highest possible plane. To this will to glorify covenant of friendship with men. This is the meaning
Himself and to reveal Himself in all the beauty of His of that marvelous passage in Col. 1:15ff.  ; "Who is the
adorable perfections and in all the blessedness of His image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
divine life belongs His eternal purpose to reveal Him- creature: For by him were all things created, that are  *
self in His blessed covenant life of eternal frindship. in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
But how could this covenant life of God be revealed whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principali-
otherwise than unto and through a people that would ties, or powers: all things were created by him, and
have a place in His fellowship, to whom He would re- for him: And he is before all things, and by him all
veal His secrets and that would be able to taste Hi's things consist. $And he is the head of the body, the
marvelous love and grace. The triune  (God, there- church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the
fore, from before the foundation of the world deter- dead ; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
mined to form a people that would have `a creaturely For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
place in the fellowship of the divine family. And if dwell."
we must speak of a covenant of redemption, a  pa&urn             With Him, then,' the covenant of friendship is first
salutti,  a covenant of peace, I would say that it is the of all established. And in the incarnated, crucified, and
eternal purpose of the triune God ts reveal His own resurrected Christ there is the highest possible  crea-
covenam life to the highest possible degree and on the turely likeness of God. And to Him are given all the
highest possible plane by establishing the covenant elect, the sons whom God wants to lead to glory, that
relation of friendship between Himself and His people. He might be the firstborn among many brethren. They
      But this required the formation of a people, of a are chosen in Him and unto Him ; and they are ordain-
creature that would be in the highest possible creature-      ed to be conformed according to His image, in order
ly measure like unto Himself: For, as we said, the that the covenant of friendship, centrally realized in
bond of friendship presupposes a basis of likeness. the risen Lord, the Head of the Church, might be re-
Hence, God in His everlasting counsel determined upon flected in millions upon millions of sons of God, and
and conceived of a people that shall be conformed ac- so all might redown  to the praise of the triune God.
cording to the image of His Son, that He may be the And what is more, unto Him and His Church all things
firstborn among many brethren. The first of these in heaven and on earth are given: for Christ. is the
covenant creatures in the divine conception is the Head of heaven and earth. In Him as the Head all
Christ, the Son of God in human .flesh, and that, too, things must be gathered together. And in God's coun-
as the resurrected Lord. The risen Lord is the firs?-         sel they are conceived as united in Hun, so that the
born of every creature in the counsel of God. In Him whole creation is a house bf God in Christ and through
the likeness of God is realized  .in the highest possible His Church. The covenant of God embraces every
degree and measure. You understand that this means creature, and all things must serve the new man in
that I conceive of the counsel of God in a strictly supra-    Christ, that he may serve his God. Of this all-embrac-
lapsarian light. History may be, and no doubt is, infra ing idea of the covenant the rainbow which God
in its'order of events. But *God's  eternal purpose and established in the heavens after the flood is a sign
good pleasure dare not be conceived otherwise than and symbol. And unto that glorious realization of
according to the supralapsarian order : what is ultimate God's heavenly and all-embracing covenant all things
in history or in the realization of God's pleasure is that are accomplished and must be accomplished in
first in His eternal counsel. Not the first world, but time are subordinated and made subservient. Even
the new creation is the goal from the beginning, be- creation and the fall, sin and death, reprobation as
cause it is first in the decree of God. Not the first well as election,- all must serve the realization of God's
covenant, but the eternal tabernacle of God on a heaven- everlasting covenant of friendship in Christ and His
ly plane has the first place in the counsel of Gpd. Sal- Church.
vation is no repair work, but the realization of God's           You understand that  I refer now to the counsel of
eternal pleasure, of Him Who knows all His works God, not to the order of things in time. If you bear
from the beginning. And since all things in the new this in mind, you will also discern the sharp difference
world are concentrated in the glorified Son of God in between this and the Barthian  idea of the covenant, as
the flesh, and He is the Head of all things in that new presented, for instance, by Walter Kiinneth in his book
world, and all things are created unto  Him  and  for under the title, "Die Theologie der Auferstehung".


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      81
                      ".
.He expresses a view very similar to that presented revelation of His glorious grace. He had provided
above, but he refuses to proceed from a supralapsarian some better thing for us, the perfection of His covenant
conception of the counsel of God, applies the truth that of friendship in Christ. Adam violated the covenant
the risen Lord is the firstborn of every creature to of God, but God maintains it. Adam and all the elect
creation and its development, and leaves at least the fall upon Christ, Who stood behind them, according
impression that creation culminates and reaches its to *God's eternal good pleasure. And God at once re-
perfection in the resurrection of Christ, and that, too, veals His covenant as it is e:ernally  fixed in Christ.
in the way of development and in virtue of an inherent For He announces that He will put enmity between
"Triebkraft': in creation as originally called into exist- Satan and the woman and between their mutual seed
ence by the Word of God. To this view we can, of and that the cause of the Son of God shall have the
course, not subscribe.                                       victory. That covenant is to follow the antithetical
   But we do believe that when  <God  created the first line of election and reprobation. And for the revela-
world He had the second in view; when He formed the tion of this covenant of Christ in the elect, wilth its
first Adam, He did so with a view to the last Adam, antithesis in the reprobate, the stage is set in all crea-
the Lord from heaven, the risen Christ, the firstborn tion. Man is subjected to temporal, death, separated
of every creature. The origin,al  creation is an image from the tree of life. The conception of the woman is
of the new world that is to come. But it is not its be- multiplied, in order that Christ may come quickly, as
ginning. The first man is the image of the second, but always, and her sorrow shall, be great. The ground is
he can never develop into him. The chasm between the cursed and will produce thorns and thistles. Not only
two can be bridged only by the wonder of grace, that will man eat his bread in the sweat of his face, but
has its central revelation in the incarnation of the Son he will also eat and drink his own death. And the
of God, and through His death in the resurrection and creature is made subject to vanity, so that all real
glorification of Christ the Lord. It is not by the Trieb-    culture by the fallen lord of the earthly creation is
lcruf t of the original creation, but by the irresistible forever become impossible. But upon that stage God
power of the wonder of grace that all things are raised reveals His covenant; and through that darkness He
from their original earthly level, and that, too, through causes the light of the promise, `the light that shines
the depth of sin', death, and the curse, to the height of from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to penetrate,
glory in God's eternal covenant of friendship.               filling the heirs of the promise with hope.
   In the first paradise we behold the first, the earthly       He reveals that covenant to Noah and his seed as a
realization of the covenant of friendship. That cove- covenant that embraces the whole  creat.ion,  so that also
nant was not an agreement between God and Adam, the creature, groaning in the bondage of corruption,
made sometime after his creation as something new may look forward in hope to the glorious liberty of the
and additional. But it was the living bond of fellow- children of God. He reveals that covenant to Abra-
ship, according to which Adam was the friend-servant ham, His friends, as running in the line of generations,
of God, set over God's entire earthly house, so that all but as embracing nevertheless all the nations of the
things must serve him, that he might serve his God. earth. He establishes that covenant at Sinai, placing
And also this covenant relationship functioned a  pa&        it, however, under the law, in order that sin might
horn&w  on the basis of the fact that he was created abound and under the taskmaster the children of the
in the image of *God, in true knowledge, righteousness promise- might look the more earnestly for the telos
and holiness. Even as Adam in his nature reflected of the law in Christ. And all through the dispensation
the nature and virtues of His Creator, so his relation of that covenant of Sinai the powers of darkness and
to and life with God reflected from the moment of his an adulterous people exerted themselves to violate and
creation the life of the Triune.                             to destroy the covenant of Jehovah. Yet, in the ful-
    But Adam did not regard his exalted position.            ness of time He realized the covenant of friendship,
Through the instigation of Satan he violated the cove- uniting Himself with His people centrally in the incar-
nant of God and made himself worthy of His fierce nation, the Son of God come in the flesh, God of God
anger, death, and the curse. He dies and becomes cor- tabernacling with us, laying the basis of righteousness
rupt, dead in trespasses and sins, an exile `from the        in the atoning sacrifice and perfect obedience of the
house of God. And in him all men, including the elect,       Servant of Jehovah, and raising the firstborn among
the sons ,God had ordaint$ unto glory, fell into sin and many brethren and the firstborn of every creature
death. There was no way out as far as man was con- from the dead to exalt Him at. His right hand in
cerned. As far as it lay in his power, he had destroyed heavenly glory. He establishes that eternal bond of
the covenant of God. The return to the fellowship of friendship in the new covenant through the Spirit
God had, from man's viewpoint, become forever im- of the risen Lord indwelling in the Church, by Whom
possible.                                                    He writes His law in their hearts so that they all
   But man's  impossibility  is God's medium for the know Him from the smallest to the greatest.


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      And still the counsel of God concerning His ever-, Word of God. The Lord will establish enmity between
lasting covenant is not finished. Qne more revelation the seed of the woman and that of the serpent. Enmity
of the wonder ,of grace is yet to be expected, when the is essentially friendship, the friendship of the living
glorified Son of God shall be revealed from heaven, the God. That God will establish enmity certainly signifies
old things shall pass away,, and all things shall be made that He will instill His friendship-and love in  tthe hearls
new. Then He shall make our mortal bodies like unto of His own. And this will continue throughout the
His most glorious body by the power whereby He is ages. Besides, we must note that the Lord will estab-
able to subdue all things unto Himself. Even creation lish this enmity. Hence, the enmity between  `the seed
shall be delivered from the bondage of corrup:ion  to of the woman and that of `the devil, the friendship of
participate in the glorious liberty of the children of the Church which causes that Church to be the party
God. And all things shall be made conformable to the of the living  <God  and that also over against the king-
glory of the risen Lord. The tabernacle of God shall. dom of darkness, is solely the work of Jehovah and is,
be with men in heavenly glory; and as friend-servants therefore, strictly unilateral, one-sided, proceeds ex-
in the house of *God,  a royal priesthood, we shall have      clusively from the Lord.  IAnd, this is the teaching
perfect fellowship with the (triune Jehovah, see Him throughout the Word of God. The entire Old Dispen-
face to facet know even as we are known, and taste sation appears in the symbol of the temple, God's
and declare that the Lord is good forever and ever.           dwelling-p&.ce  with His own, Heaven is described as
                                               H. H.          the house of the Father with many mansions. And,
                                                              furthermore, eternity is held before us in Holy Writ
                                                              as the eternal tabernacle of God with man, in which
                                                              the Lord will dwell with His redeemed and perfect.ly
                                                              sanctified people in heavenly perfection and immortal-
                                                              ity. No truth can be higher than this relationship of
            OUR DOCTRINE                                      living friendship with the alone blessed God, and  thrs
                                                              is presented in the Scriptures as being realized with
                                                              the believers and their seed according to the eternal
           The Counsell Of God. (I)                           and divinely sovereign good pleasure of Jehovah.
                                                                 We have, therefore, been discussing thus far the
         The Place  Of  This Concept In Dogmatics.            Essence, Being, of God, the life of God Himself, not of
                                                              course apart from the Scriptures, but as revealed unto
      We have now come, in our discussion of "our doc-        us in the written Word of God. We are now ready
trine", to the counsel of God. The place which this to discuss the works of God, as revealed in all His
concept occupies in Dogmatics is important.             Dog- warks, His works of creation and recreation. Bef,ore
matics we have defined as the systematic knowledge we proceed with this discussion, however, we must
of God as based upon the Holy Scriptures. Until now first inquire into the Counsel of God, the Divine Origin
we have discussed the Knowledge of God, the Trinity, and' Cause of this revelation of the Lord in all  th"3
the Covenant, and the Attributes (incommunicable and works of His hands.
communicable).      We noticed that our conception of
the Covenant is based not merely upon  #the  definition              The Importance Of The Counsel  of God.
of the word "covenant", but upon the develop'ment of             The importance of the truth of the counsel of GoJ
this truth as it occurs throughout Holy Writ. To be           is evident, first of all, from the fact that it is every-
sure,, also the word, "covenant", appears in the Scrip- where taught in Holy Writ. We will return to this
tures as referring to the eternal and heavenly relation- Scriptural evidence in this series of articles. And,
ship of living friendship between God and His people          secondly, this concept is important because of the very
in Jesus Christ, our Lord. The word appears in this nature of the subject. The Scriptural doctrine of God's
sense in passages in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea, and        counsel or decrees maintains the absolute sovereignty
also in the Lord's dealing with Abraham and Noah. of the Lord. Our conception of it. determines our con-
Of this covenant, for example, the rainbow is a sign,         ception of God and, vice versa, our conception of the
and what is the rainbow but a sign of the break&              living God determines our conception of His counsel.
through of the!Sun  of Righteousness through the night If God be truly God,. absolute. and all-sufJicient,  His
of the darkness of our sin and guilt, and the righteous counsel must be maintained in  ,the strictly sovereign,
judgments of God? .However,  this covenant idea of a all-comprehensive, efficacious, irresistible,;nconditional
relationship of living friendship appears and is taught sense of the word. God and His counsel are one ; as
throughout the Word. Of tremendous importance in the Lord is, so is His decree. The histary of the$hurch
this connection is a passage such as Gen. 3:15. This throughout the ages verifies the truth that an arminian
text may surely be considered as a key passage in the conception of man and salvation is always accompanied


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  by a denial or silencing of the strictly sovereign char- out of the womb  ?" f.f.-Job 38.           Emphatically the
  acter of election and reprobation-this can be readily Scriptures declare that God knows the things that
 discerned in the Roman Catholic-Lutheran-Remonstrant shall be and announces them beforehand, as in Is. 44:
  (Arminian) development of this truth as revealed in 23-24 : "Sing, 0 ye heavens ; for the Lord hath done
  the Scriptures. We purpose to refer to this line in it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into
  this series of articles on the Divine decrees. It is not singing, ye mountains, 0 forest, and every tree therein :
  difficult lto distinguish the Roman Catholic-Lutheran-        for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Him-
  Remonstrant development of this truth from the  Paui- self in Israel. Thus saith  `the Lord, thy Redeemer,
  ine-Augustine-Gottschalk-Fathers of Dordrecht line of and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the
  development of the same concept. Besides, the counsel Lord that maketh ail things: that stretcheth forth the
  of God is, of course, the origin of ail things. This heavens alone; that  spread&h  abroad the earth by
  lies in *the very nature of the case. Our conception of Myself ;"-in Is. 42 :9 : "Behold, the former things are
  God's counsel must, therefore, be of the greatest im- come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they
  portance. If we err at the origin of our conception spring forth I tell you of them."-in Is. 41:22-23  : "Let
  and thinking, we must necessarily go astray in all our them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen :
  thinking and conceptions. And this applies, not only let them shew the former things, what they be, that
  to an open denial and repudiation of God's sovereign we may consider them, and know the latter end of
  decrees, but also  ,to a failure to accord it to its proper them  ; or declare us things for to come. Shew the
  place in our preaching and instruction.                       things that are to come hereafter, that we may know
                                                                that ye are gods : yea, do good, or do evil, that we may
                    The Issue Defined.                          be dismayed, and behold it together."-in Is. 43 :9-12:
     We  can speak, first of ail, of the counsel of the         "Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the
  Lord in the general sense of the word. When we speak people be assembled : who among them can declare this,
  of the counsel of God in general we refer to it in its and shew us former things ? let them bring forth their
  broadest, ail-comprehensive sense, as embracing ail witnesses, that they may be justified : or let them hear,
  things. As such, the counsel of God refers to the and say, It is truth. Ye are My witnesses, saith the
  eternal thoughts, wisdom, knowledge of God, whereby Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye
  He eternally and sovereignly willed, foreordained, pre- may know and believe Me, and understand that I am
  scribed the existence and being and development of He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall
  all things in heaven and on earth and in the waters there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside
  under the earth, of the things rational and irrational, Me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have
 `animate and inanimate, organic and inorganic, the saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange
  life of man and beast, of tree and plant, of all things god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith
  that move and are, of the entire creation.                    the Lord, that I am God."-in Is. 44 :7 : "And who, as I,
     This is everywhere the teaching of Holy Writ. On shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for
  the one hand, the Old Testament abounds in eulogizing Mej since I appointed the ancient people? and the
  the counsel of God. The Lord, e.g., is the Creator of things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew
' ail things, and, therefore, the Architect of the universe.    unto ,them."`-in Is. 46  :lO: "Declaring the end from
  He created, sustains, governs all things by His word the beginning, and from ancient times the things that
  and with wisdom-"By the word of the Lord were the are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand; and I
  heavens made ; and all the host of them by the breath will do ail My pleasure :"-in Is. 48 :3-U :, "I have de-
  of His mouth"-Ps. 33  :6  ; "0 Lord, how manifold are clared the former things from the beginning; and they
  Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them ail: `the went forth out of My mouth, and I shewed them; I did
  earth is full of Thy riches."-Ps. 104  :24; "Then the them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew
  Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew,
  Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without and .thy; brow brass; I have even from the beginning
  knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man ; for I declared it to thee ; before it came to pass I  shewed  it
  will demand of thee, and answer thou Me. Where wast thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them,
  thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath com-
  if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the `meas- manded them. Thou hast heard, see all this ; and will
  ures thereof, if thou knowest: or who hath stretched not ye declare it? I have  shewed thee new things
  the line upon it?     Whereupon are the foundations from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not
 thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; know them. They are created now, and not from the
  When the morning stars. sang together, and all the beginning: even before the day when thou heardest
  sons of God shouted for joy?  ,Or who shut up the them not; lest thou shouidest say, Behold, I knew them.
 sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued Yea, thou heardest not, yea, thou knewest not, yea,


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thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear           Indeed, the entire Old Testament, with ail its pro-
was not opened : for I knew that thou wouldest deal phecies, shadows, types, and symbols, constitutes a
very  ,treacherousiy,  and wast called a transgressor Divine prophecy of the future as, e.g., in connection
from the womb. For My Name's sake will I defer with the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain from thee, Christ, in all His suffering and death, followed a speci-
that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, fic program which was outlined for Him in the Old
but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace Testament, and which, therefore, has been planned
of affliction. For Mine own sake, even for Mine own and willed by God from before the foundation of the
sake, will I do it : for how should My name be polluted : world.
and I will not give My glory unto another."-in Amos            On the other hand, also the New Testament abounds
3 :7 : "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He re- in this testimony, concerning the counsel of the Lord.
vealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets."        In Acts 15  :18 we read : "Known unto God are  ail His
      In prophecy He proclaims before hand the things works from the beginning of the world." The counsel
which shall happen and as they shall happen, as in of Gad precedes ail things and it embraces ail things.
Gen. 3:14, f.f.; "And the Lord aGod said unto the ser- We read in Eph. 1 :ll : "In Whom also we have obtain-
pent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed ed an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat counsel of His own will." Moreover, it also includes
ail the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between the sinful deeds of men. This is clearly held before us,
thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her e.g., in Acts  2:23: "Him, being delivered by the deter-
seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise minate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have
his heel. . .  .", in 6  :13, f.f. : "And God said unto taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain ;"
Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me: for the -in Acts 4  :28 : "For of a truth against Thy holy child
earth is filled with violence through them ; and, behold, Jesus, Whom Thou hast anointed, both  Herod, and
I will destroy them with the earth. . . ." in 9 :25-27 : Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of
"And he said, Cursed be Canaan ; a servant of servants Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever
shall he be unto his brethren. <And he said, Blessed Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be
be the Lord God of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his done."--and in Luke  22:22: "And truly the Son of
servant. <God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell man goeth as it was determined: but woe unto that
in the tents of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his ser- man by whom He is betrayed !"
vant."- i n 12 :2-3 : "And I will make of thee a great         The Lord has determined the dwellingplace of ail
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; the peoples of the earth and also the bounds of their
and thou shalt be a blessing:. And I will bless them habitations, Acts 17  :26 : "And  bath made of one blood
that bless thee, and curse him that  curseth thee: and all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."-in earth, and hath determined the times before appointed,
15 :13-15  : "And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety and the bounds of their habitations."
that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not        The will of God is revealed in the destruction of
their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict Judas, John 1'7 :12 : "While I was with them in the
them four hundred years ; And also that nation, whom world, I kept them in Thy Name: those that Thou
they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they gave&  Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but
come out with great substance., And thou shalt go to the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fui-
thy fathers in peace ; thou shalt be buried in a good old f ilied.", in the reprobation of Esau, Rom. 9 :13 : `(As it
age."-see also Gen. 25 : 13 f.f. and 49  :8 f.f.           is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.",
      Also, the days of a man's life are all determined in the hardening of the ungodly, Rom. 9 :18 : "There-
beforehand, before he is born. This we read in Ps. fore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and
31:15: "My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from whom He will He hardeneth.", in the raising up of
the hand of mine enemies, and from them that perse- Pharaoh, Rom. 9 :17 : "For the Scripture saith unto
cute me."-in Psalm  39:5: "Behold, thou hast made Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised
my days as an handbreath ; and mine age is as nothing thee up, that I might shew My power in thee, and
before Thee: verily every man at his best state is that My name might be declared throughout ail the
altogether vanity. Selah."-in Ps. 139  :15: "My sub- earth.", and in the endurance of the vessels of wrath
stance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in fitted unto destruction, Rom. 9  :22: "What if God,
secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power
the earth."-and in Job  14:5: "Seeing his days are known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
determined, the number of his months are with Thee, of wrath fitted to destruction."
Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass."         Moreover, Christ  Zs appointed not only unto the


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            85

rising but also the falling of many, Luke 2 :34: "And your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all
Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, numbered." We may therefore conclude that the coun-
Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again sel of God, understood in its general, broadest sense,
of many in Israel ; and for a sign which shall be spoken must be understood as all-comprehensive, as embracing
against  ;" unto judgment, John 3:19-21: "And this is all things, the existence and being, the development,
the condemnation, that light is come into the world,          and the activity of every form of existence throughout
and men loved darkness rather than light, because the universe, in the heavens above, upon the earth be-
their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil low, and in the waters under the earth.
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his                                                H. Veldman.
deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth
cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made mani-
fest, that they are wrought in God", and a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offence,  I Pet. 2 :7-8 ; I Thess.
5 :9; Judas 4: "Unto you therefore which believe He
is precious : but unto .them  which be disobedient, the             Reply To Dr. K.  Schilder
stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made                               (Conclusion)
the head of the corner. And a stone of stumbling, and
a rock of offence,  even to them which stumble at the           `. Let me repeat the line of thought of the professor's
word, being disobedient : whereunto also  they were article, the second half of which I must still treat. As
appointed. . . .    For  ,God hath not appointed us to was said the professor charges me with two, I should
wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, have said, three follies.
. . . . For there are certain men crept in unawares,             1) My first folly, according to the professor, is my
who were before of old ordained to this  condemqation,        saying, that Rev. Hoeksema's dogmatic structure, opin-
ungodly men, turning the grace of our ,God into las- ion, coherent view "over alles .en nog wat" is official
civiousness, and denying the only Lord `God, and our doctrine in our communion just because it is Rev.  Hoek-
Lord Jesus Christ."                                           sema's view and through the success that he had in
   Besides, the unbelief of the wicked is ascribed to binding it on our people.
the will of God, John 12:37-41:  "But though He had              I made plain that the professor cannot point to a
done so many miracles before them, yet they believed single statement in any of my articles that can justify
not on Him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet his telling his readers over there in the Netherlands
might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath such a thing. Such a saying from my pen would indeed
believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the be absurd and as untrue as it is absurd. Not Rev.
Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, Hoeksema's thetical view "over alles en nog wat", but
because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their his covenant-theology-the teaching that the promises
eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not of God are given only to the elect--is official doctrine in
see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, our communion, and this for the sole reason that it was
and be converted, and I should-heal them. Those things. officially adopted.
saith Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of                2) My second folly, according to the professor, is
I-Inn",  and also the faith of the people of God, Acts my saying that Rev. Hoeksema's covenant-theology was
13:48: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were unwritten  and as unwritten  officially adopted. .Were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many this true, says the professor, the Protestant Reformed
as were ordained to eternal life believed." And do we officially adopted Rev. Hoeksema's unwtitten  creed,
not read in John 10:26: "But ye believe not, because dogmatic structure, opinion, coherent view,  ,thetical
ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you." We must view "over alles en nog wat". But that is inconceiv-
understand this word correctly. Jesus does not say able. It simply cannot be true. And it isn't true.
that they are not of His sheep because they believe not, `Fact is, the professor goes on to say, that all the
but that they do not believe because they are not of Protestant Reformed have is the Confession, the Three
His sheep. It is, therefore, clear that the unbelief of Forms of Unity, and not the covenant-theology of
the Jews is ascribed to the fact that they are not of         collega  Hoeksema.
His sheep, and hence to the sovereign will.of the living         But as I made plain, the facts are these. Not Rev.
God. And in Matt. 10 :29-30 we are told that the Lord Hoeksema's thetical view "over alles en nog  wat",
has counted all the hairs of our heads, and that not a but his covenant-theology, the teaching that the prom-               1
sparrow falls off the house top without the will of our ises of God are given only to the elect, is written-
heavenly Father : "Are not two sparrows sold for a written indeed-and as  written also  officially adopted,
farthing? (hence, they are not of much valu+H.V.)             and therefore binding indeed.         The "how" of this
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without          adoption has been fully explained.


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      Here the professor has my reply to.what  we have in time and still is our conviction. (Our conviction was
the following paragraph from his pen (quote), "Now and still is that the Three Points are7 as Rev. Hoeksema
this time I am not going to say a word about the states in the aforesaid booklet, three additions to the
theology of the Liberated." (That is really a pity.             Confession and not the very Confession itself. Yuch
I would like to hear the professor on that theology, being our conviction, we might not, and also did not,
that covenant-theology* of the Liberated, the teaching subscribe the Three Points. But, I repeat, the teach-
that the promises of God are given to baptized elect ing that the promises of God are given only to the elect
and non-elect alike). The professor continues (quote), is, according to our firm belief, the very Confession,
"But  I do want to say something about the theology of the only true interpretation of it. Hence, we would
the Protestant Reformed brethren. If Rev., Ophoff have had absolutely no scrupples  in subscribing that
dare aver that the unwritten creed, nevertheless official- teaching, had they so required. For, certainly, we did
ly adopted, is binding in his communion, well, then it not desire that rupture between us and the Christian
is time to hold him to the spirited word of Rev.  Floek- Reformed brethren. We did all within our power to
sema's Triple Breach, p. 24, that I, mutatis mutandis prevent it. Why should we then have been unwilling
(necessary changes having been made) would now to subscribe the truth, if that could have held us to-
like to hold before him: `The Formula of Subscrip- gether ?                We would have committed a heinous sin
tion contains always still nothing more than that we before God had we allowed ourselves to be deposed in
(the subscribers of that document, the officebearers in our office for the mere and sole reason that we
the church) declare our willingness to maintain and didn't want to be told.
defend the Three Forms of Unity.'                                  ,The professor continues, "Rev. Hoeksema reproved
      Remark. We wholeheartedly can indorse that state- the Christian Reformed church, and, I believe, rightly
ment from the Triple Breach. Truly, that is all that so, as follows: `If the Christian Reformed Churches
the Formula of Subscription contains, to wit, a promise wanted to be honest, they would so have to alter the
to maintain and defend the Three Forms of Unity. Form (the Three Forms of Unity), that in it the Three
And before our own consciousness we have been hold- Points of 1924 also received a name.' I (Dr. Schilder)
ing ourselves to that promise through the years, also share that opinion."
in our officially adopting the written teaching that the           Remark: I (Rev. Ophoff), too, share that opinion
promises of God are given only to the elect and in              (of Rev. * Hoeksema) . So here the professor and I
our official rejection of the written logical contrary again agree. Certainly, the Christian Reformed breth-
of that doctrine. For that doctrine, teaching, we firm- ren, then, should have been honest enough to make room
ly believe, is the plain teaching of those Three Forms, for the Three Points by changing-mark you, changing
so that, according to our firm belief, all that we were -the Confession. And the reason is simple. As Rev.
doing in officially adopting that written teaching is Hoeksema stated in his Triple Breach, these points, so
precisely what the Liberated, according to their belief we believe, are not the Confession but verily additions
and public statements, were doing when they officially to it.
rejected the teaching of  ,the synodicals to the effect that       And now I must confess that I can see no logical
the promises of God are given to the elect only. What connection between what the professor has just said
we were doing, we believe, is returning to the Confes- and what he in the same paragraph next writes (quote)
sion. And, of course, the question is-and this is the           "If Rev. Ophoff, what I otherwise do not believe,
question indeed-who  a&u&y  returned to the Con- thinks that an unwritten creed is binding, let, then,
fession, the Protestant Reformed or the Liberated? the Protestant Reformed churches write down on paper
We certainly would like to discuss with the Liberated that which is unwritten, and definitely name it among
brethren precisely  that  question. We are convinced the papers which, let us say, the catechumens of 1949
that we did. And as holding that conviction we are must receive 25 years after 1924."
exceedingly willing to debate the matter.                          Reply. The professor shall have to admit that the
      Again quoting from Rev. Hoeksema's Triple Breach, necessity under which he here wants to place us is
the professor continues ,`A little further, p. 24/5 (of really no necessity at all if the doctrine in question
the Triple Breach), `In 1924 office bearers were de- is written in our hearts ; if it is the concensus of opin-
posed because they refused to subscribe and express ion, better said, conviction, among us that the doctrine
their agreement with the Three Forms of Unity. These is the plain teaching of our Confession ; and if it
office bearers had promised to hold themselves to the already has been put in writing, and as written of-
Three Forms of Unity without any additions.'                    ficially  adopted.
      Remark. We can wholeheartedly subscribe also                 The professor concludes, "As long as this has not
this statement from the Triple Breach of Rev. Hoek- happened, and I suspect that it never will happen, I
sema. For it is simply a statement of what at the               know not how to honour the Protestant Reformed


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            87

churches better, t.han  to say to everyone: hands off,            This, then, is my great folly, namely, my contention
because we have there the Three Forms of Unity and that in rejecting the three points, the Protestant Re-
nothing else,-Rev. Hoeksema himself has said  `it." formed repudiated all that lies back of those points:
I fail to grasp what the professor means by the ex- the theology of Heyns and of all the delegates to synod,
pression ,,hands off". Hands off what? Our confes- their shreds of theology, all kinds of theological ideas
sion? Do not change that symbol by the addition of in their heads about church, sacrament and the promise
propositions foreign to its doctrine? If that is what including all kinds of casual reasons back of their nod-
is meant, I again fully agree, of course.. The rest of ding their approval, .when the points as binding were
the sentence is clear. True, we have the Three Forms brought to a vote.
and nothing else in the way of corrupting additions.              In replying, all I have need of is to direct attention
And the teaching to the effect that the promises of to the proposition on which the first of the three points
God are only to the elect is our official interpretation was made to repose,-the proposition to the effect that
-of the Confession. Rev. Hoeksema has said it not the preaching of the gospel is grace for all-elect and
so long ago in the Standard Bearer. And we all say non-elect-to whom in the providence of God it is pre-
it with him, not because he said' it, but because it is sented. And that is Heynsian theology. And that
true.                                                          theology was rejected together with the first point.
    It is therefore as the professor tells his readers. All       That theology, doctrinal proposition, does not, of
that we as Protestant Reformed have is the Confes- course, stand alone. It is surrounded by other  dot-'
sion, the Three Forms of Unity, but the Confession so trinal propositions, to which it is radically related and
interpreted as to yield the teaching that the promises in union with which it forms a distinctive covenant-
of God are given only to the elect. That teaching, we vew, theology, the Heynsian. Basic to this view is the
believe, is the only true interpretation of the Confes- proposition that the promises of God are given to elect
sion. And on that teaching hangs not Rev. Hoeksema's and non-elect alike. On that proposition this whole
thetical view "over alles en nog wat", but our covenant view hangs. ' It is, therefore, not amiss to speak of the
view, theology. The ensign, so to speak, of that view, promises-of-God-given-to-all covenant view, theology,
theology, is exactly that teaching. To distinguish our of Heyns. Not with all kinds of theological ideas in
covenant-theology from other covenant-theologies, for the head of Heyns' or in anybody else's head have mc
example from that of the Liberated, it would not be to do, but with this Heynsian covenant view. For it
amiss to call it the promises-of-God-given-only-to-the- was officially rejected with the three points in 1924.
elect covenant-theology of the Protestant Reformed.               The professor in the sequel of his article objects to
Indeed, it is really as plain and as simple as all that..      identifying the Heynsian covenant-view with that of
    3) My third folly, according to the professor, is the Liberated. He tells his readers that he,  .himself,
my saying that the Protestant Reformed in their re- rejects the first point of 1924 and definite construc-
jection of the Three Points repudiated the covenant- tions of Heyns. But that is his inconsistency. For he
theology of  Prof;  Heyns, the dogmatic construction at once holds that the promises are given to all the bap-
of the professor, his opinion, coherent view, thetical tized, elect and non-elect, alike.
view  "over alles en hog wat". Such is my folly here-             I still have a question. As we know, by synodical
a folly that the professor means to expose in all its action in the communion of "Gereformeerde" churches
great foolishness. For he writes (quote), "It is not in the Netherlands, that promises-of-God-given-only-
true that a theology, for example of Heyns, was re- to-the-elect theology was made binding. Every office-
jected.    Propositions were rejected, nothing more. bearer was asked to express his agreement with it.
Back of them lie, of course, more than a fragment, not Dr. Schilder and his brethren in the service-profes-
to say : back of them lie all kinds of shreds of theology ; sors, ministers, elders, and deacons-refused. Action
but even as in 1944 the people who east us out, had all was taken against them, and they were deposed in their
kinds of theological ideas in their heads, the one about office. Synod's action was the striking of what turned
the church, the other about the sacrament, a third about out to be an always widening breach between brethren
the promise, and the one  for. that and the other again of the same household of faith.
for some other reason, some in all likelihood for all             Here, then, is my question? Why did Dr. Schilder
kinds of casual reasons, nodded their approval, when and his brethren refuse to subscribe that covenant-
the chairman brought to a vote as binding, the deliver- theology? Let me put the question to ourselves. Why
ances, the propositions, so, too, in 1924. We only cause in our communion did our original consistories back
ourselves a hopeless amount of work should we also still in 1924 refuse to subscribe the Three Points? Was
have to deal with all those theologies. Don't take of- their reason the following?
fence, but such a construction of the present church life         1) They had no earnest convictions regarding the
dangerously approaches the myth."                              doctrine contained in those points, but only opinions.

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

  Their attitude was more or less neutral. They had est and firm convictions regarding the doctrine of those
  a feeling that the doctrine was unscriptural but they Three Points. It was their earnest conviction that the
  did not know. They were not certain. At the moment, doctrine of those points was in conflict with the Scrip-
  they were unable in their minds and hearts to take a tures and our Confession. It was their firm conviction
  firm stand against or for the points. As led by that, should they subscribe the three points, they verily
  Rev. Hoeksema, they had been studying the doctrine would be binding themselves to denying and attacking
  and its contrary for a long time. But as yet no settled the Gospel of God and to proclaiming the lie in the
  and firm beliefs had formed in their soul. They felt pulpit. And' in that conviction, they refused to sub-
  that, before they ever would be able to say with earnest scribe the Three Points. In that conviction they al-
  conviction, that the Three  ,Points  were sound doctrine lowed themselves to be deposed in their office. And
  or heretical, they needed much more time, perhaps their firm belief was that in openly repudiating those
  years, for study. Hence, their ideal with respect to the points, they were returning to the confession indeed.
  doctrine of the Three Points and its logical contrary Let no one say, therefore, `that the contrary of these
  was a legal state in the church in which every one was' points, the contrary of the First Point-that promises-
  free to take whatever attitude his heart bade him with of-God-given-only-to-the-elect covenant-theology is not
  respect to the points, and to live that attitude, denying binding in our communion. To deny that is to be mak-
  or affirming those points, as he. should choose.              ing it impossible for ourselves to justify before God
        ' Was this the state of heart and mind of the three our separate existence as a communion of Protestant
  original consistories and their pastors-Revs.  Hoek- Reformed Churches.
  sema, Danhof, and the undersigned-with respect to                How is Dr. Schilder and his brethren justifying
  the three points? And did they refuse to sign those their separate existence as a communion of Liberated
  points because, being still in great doubt, they, accord- churches? The question is pertinent because of their
  ing to the word of the apostle, would be damned, should saying that in their refusal to sign the points they were
  they yield? aAnd is this what they ifi their refusal to returning to that legal state that has for its watch-
  subscribe the points declared: We are not returning to word  : we do not bind one another ;-returning to that
' the Confession in our minds and hearts. For we have state with respect to the doctrine of those points and
  no convictions regarding the doctrine of the points. its logical contrary.
  So then, we are returning to that ideal legal state              One or two: 1) Their refusal to sign those points
  (just described) the watch-word of which, is : nothing was an act expressive of their earnest conviction that
  binding.                                                      the doctrine of those  synodical  points is heretical,
         Now this, certainly, is not what those three original and that in repudiating it, they were returning to
  consistories declared, meant to declare and actually did the Confession and the Scriptures, and then the con-
  declare, in their refusal to subscribe the Three Points. trary doctrine of the points is binding in their com-
  How could they with a good conscience have allowed munion ; 2) or they were not acting from earnest con-
  themselves to be dep0se.d  in their office without first      viction ; and in that case the contrary doctrine of those
  revealing to  Classis  their doubt and petitioning Classis points cannot very well be binding in their communion.
  to bear them in their doubt as members of the Chris- But how then are the brethren justifying their separate
  tian Reformed communion of churches, and thus re- existence as a communion of Liberated churches? That
  frain from demanding of them that they subscribe the is really my question.
  Three Points. And it is not unlikely that the Classis            The trouble with the Liberated brethren is that
  would have been willing to bear them in their doubt on they say two things. They say: 1) We did return to
  the condition that they solemnly promise to refrain the Confession. (Prof. Schilder said this in his article
  from attacking the doctrine of the points either by the that I am now treating). Hence, in repudiating that
  written or spoken word ; but to keep `silence until           promises-of-God-given-only-to-the-elect covenant the-
  through the searching of the Scriptures, they should ology of the Synodicals and in embracing its logical
  be able to take a stand either against or for the Three contrary, we did act from conviction. That "promises-
  Points.                                                       of-God-given-to-baptized-elect-and-non-elect covenant
         In a `word, had that been the state of mind and theology is binding in our communion. Our separation
  heart of those original consistories, how could we today therefore is justified. 2) And they say, "that  covenant-
  justify our separate existence as a communion of Pro- theology of ours is not binding in our communion. We
  testant Reformed Churches.. I don't see it.                   did not act from conviction.  COur separation is not
         2) But, certainly, that was not the state of mind justified.
  and heart of the three original consistories with regard         The Liberated brethren must stop saying two
  to the Three Points and its contrary doctrine. Those things. They must say either the one or the other.
  consistories, the pastors of those consistories, had earn-                                           G. M. Ophoff.


                                  T H E - S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      89

      Christ Brought As A Lamb                            it is sufficient to condemn us all. Indeed; apart from
                                                          the grace of Christ we walk in Adam's footsteps, and
              To The Slaughter                            do the will of our father, the devil.
                                                             You are inclined to doubt this. It cannot be as bad
   We turn to the 6th and 7th verse of the 23rd chap- as that, you say. Turn with me then to the first chap-
ter of Isaiah and read here God's Word as follows, ters of the book of Exodus. This portion of Holy Writ
"All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have turned presents to us the people of Israel, the church of God
every one to his own way ; and the Lord hath laid on of the Old Dispensation as groaning under the yoke of
Him the iniquities of us all. He was oppressed and Pharaoh. The Lord took mercy on His people. In
was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is His love He delivered them from their bondage. Dur-
brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep be- ing their residence in that terrible wilderness of Sinai
fore His shearers is dumb, so He opened not His He kept them as the people of His eye. He led them.
mouth."         -                                         He instructed them. He  clave the rocks in the wilder-
                                                          ness and gave them drink ; He rained down manna
   "All we as sheep have gone astray," so the prophet upon them, neither did their feet swell all those forty
sets out in this passage. Here, too, the pronoun "we" years. He drove out the nations mightier and greater
has reference only to God's' people, to the church of than they were and gave them Canaan, their promised
the elect. For we deal here with a confession of sin inheritance. *And into the rest of CanaanHe entered
and with a proclamation of the truth about the man with them. He was to them a shepherd indeed. How
of sorrows, Christ Jesus. And confessing sin in tears did the people of Israel respond? They forsook the
of true contrition of heart and witnessing for the truth, Lord who made them. They set no value on the God of
as the prophet here does, are good works that Christ their salvation. They despised and rejected Him.
prepared only for His people, that they should walk They provoked Him to jealousy with their idols .and
in them,-thus prepared for all such who by the mercy their abominations. They sacrificed ~ unto devils and
of God confess from the heart, "All we like sheep have to new gods that they knew not. And when, in. the
gone astray; we have turned every one to His own fulness of time, their shepherd, the Lord God of Israel,
w a y . "                                                 stood before them in human flesh, the incarnate Son of
   For that verily is our great sin before God. As the God, they crucified Him.
flock of God, we, His elect people, strayed from Him         And let us not say, The Jews did that. But let us
our shepherd even at the dawn of history in Adam our say, by nature, without, the grace of God intervening,
first father, representative, and head. There in para- we, too, would have crucified the Christ had He been
dise, embracing the lie of Satan, "Thou shalt be as walking with us there in Canaan. For this is the truth.
God," we arrayed ourselves on the side of the temptor,    Our text tells us so. Are we not as God's believing
against God our shepherd. Right there and then we people confessing with the prophet "All we like sheep
all like sheep went astray; we turned every one to his have gone astray; we have turned every one to his
own way. Right there and then we crucified  .God the own way" ? Verily, the prophet had reference to the
first time. Literally, of course, that  wiqked doing of sin of crucifying the Christ, when he gave utterance to
our first father was not ours. But let us not imagine that confession. First we crucified God in Paradise
that what Adam did there to God in Paradise is be- and again when He stood before us in His Son in-
neath any of us. If Adam, a man created in the image carnate, the Lord Jesus Christ. "We have turned every
of  <God, namely, created in true knowledge, righteous- one to his own way." We must take careful notice
ness and. holiness, was capable of such an atrocious also of this statement. Ordinarily we say of a man
doing, what  can be expected of men dead in trespasses that he turns to his own way when he follows his own
and sin, such as we by natureare.     Apart from the ideas and imaginings and will take advice of no one
redeeming grace of God, we walk in Adam's footsteps. and thus goes his way alone. That is somewhat of
For, as Paul tells us, by that one transgression of an illustration of the charge lodged against us here.
Adam, sin entered the world and death by sin, and so Every one of us, forsaking, crucifying God, turned to
death passed unto every man, in that all have sinned,- an idea, a vain imagining, that was whispered in man's
death passed unto every man, spiritual death. And soul by the devil in paradise-the idea, the lie, "Thou *
what is spiritual death but the corruption of the whole shalt be as God." Making that idea, that lie his own,
nature, a hereditary disease wherein infants them- every man by nature says in his heart, "I am a God in
selves are affected even in their whole nature, a heredi- my own right, equal with God ; and all things, includ-
tary disease wherein infants themselves are effected ing God Himself, exist for me and must serve me only."
even in their mother's womb, and which produceth in So speaks every one of us in his heart. That idea, vain
us all sorts of sin, being in us a root thereof; and there- imagining, every one of us by nature pursues in the
fore is so vile and abominable in the sight of God, that attempt to make good his claim,-pursues with all his

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

 mind and will and strength and heart. It is the only ness will hold up in court. Finally, there come two,
 way of life that each of us knows for himself. Hence,       who say, "This fellow said, I am able to destroy the
 we are utterly selfish by nature, self-absorbed, self- temple of God, and to build it in three days." Jesus
 centered in our depravity. Before the shrine of self we does not reply. It is stated: He opened not His mouth.
 are prostrated. Self we seek and in self we begin and He is silent. Sorely provoked, the highpriest, rising
 end with all our thinking, willing, striving, purpos- to his feet says to Him, Answeresh thou nothing?
 ing and doing; and God is not in all our thoughts.          But Jesus, it is again stated, held His peace. He is
 Each of us takes thought of but one thing, namely,          taken to the court of Pilate. The priests and the elders
 his own self, his own interests, advantages, advance- are there, too. They accuse Him of many things. And
 ment, name, fame, and glory; and sinful pride shines again the statement occurs, "He answered nothing.
 out of our eyes. It can only mean that by nature we He opens not His mouth. Pilate is at a loss what tp
 are that badly scattered by sin that no two of us are       make of Jesus' silence. Says he to Him,  "Wcarest  thou
 together as united in a common love of God and of each not how many things, they witness against thee?" This
 other. Apart from God's redeeming grace  there is, is followed by the statement, "And he answered him
 there can be, no true unity among us ; nor may there never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled
 be ; but only strife, contention, debate, murder vio- greatly." How true the saying of the prophet, "He was
 lence, and gory war. For all we like sheep  have gone oppressed and afflicted, and he opened not his mouth."
 astray; we.have  turned every one to his own way.              But should Christ not have opened His mouth? The
       Thus there is a way of sin to each of us that is his question is pertinent in view of Christ's  innocency. If
 very own ; and in our own individual way OF sin each He, like we, were a sinner, a thief or robber or a mur-
 of us walks, that is, desires, wills, thinks, strives; pur- derer, it indeed would have behooved Him io hold His
 poses and acts, according as we deem it expedient peace under all that vile treatment that they afforded
 and imperative to the realization of our own personal Him. King David had understanding of this. Absalom
 ambitions, so that from second to second and from had inaugurated against David a rebellion for the pur-
 moment to moment throughout our whole lives our pose of capturing his father's throne. David must flee.
 iniquities accumulate until they form P mountain of Arriving at Bahurin, there appeared on the other side
 iniquities that rises up against us an4 calls for our       of the brook one Shimei of the family of the house of
 eternal doom. Such is our plight by  ylature.   Wow-        Saul. The man takes up stones and casts them at David.
 ever, the phrase "by nature" must be added by all           He shouts to him, "Come out, come out, thou bloody
 means.                                                      man, and thou man of Belial." One of the king's escorts
       For, looking in the Scriptures, we again see a won- wants to make an end of the man right there and then.
 derful thing. We, God's believing people, see oul*selves    "Why should this dead dog curse the king?" said he to
 in heaven with Christ a great  famiIy of redeemed,          David. "Let him alone, let him alone,"  Dax*id replies,
 blameless and holy before God and thus-one, truly one, "for the Lord hath bidden him." So does David forbid
 by a common faith in God through  Ct-rist   ,one in a his companion to put that vile man of Saul's house to
 common love of God and of one another s5ed abr9s.d in       death. It means that he refrains from speaking the
 our heart by  ,God. Looking in the Scrlpturts,  -XX see word that would have put an end to that cursing of the
 ourselves a people whose  righteousness.doeth   fo:ih as man. And with reason. Being a sinful man, who had
 brightness; we see ourselves a chosen generation, a fallen into gross sins, David was deserving of that
 royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, abuse. And he understands, And he opens not his
 shewing forth the praises of our God by whom we             mouth. But Christ was the holy Son of  `God. Yet
 were called out of darkness into His marvelous  .ight.      wicked men empty upon him the vials of their carnal
 What is the explanation? Our text gives the explana-        wrath, and He opens not His mouth. There is but one
 tion. It is this: God laid on Him, His suffering ser- explanation. He was oppressed and afflicted on ac-
 vant, the iniquities of us all ; and He was oppressed       count of the iniquities of us all that the Lord laid upon
 and was afflicted, yet He opened not His mcutil, He Him. Understanding, He opened not His mouth. But
 was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, a; a  &eep just what can it mean that He opened not His mouth.
 before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not his This question, too, is pertinent in view of the fact that
mouth."       Mark you, as oppressed  and  affhcted  on during the hours of His passion He did open His mouth
 account of the transgressions of us all, laid upon `Him over and over.
 By God, He opened not His mouth. It is the silence             Before the priests and elders He confesses that He
 of our oppressed and afflicted Saviour tha' has the is the Son of God and adds that they shall see Him sit-
 emphasis here. It is all important.  TtLe gospel nar- ting on the right hand of power, and coming in the
 rators. direct attention to it over and  over. The chief clouds of heaven in judgment. In reply to Pilate's
 priests and elders, Matthew relates, seek many  false question, "Art thou the king of the  Jews,"He  declares,
 witnesses against Jesus but they find none  y.,hose  wit- "Thou sayest it." Still other words He speaks to Pilate


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAREk                                                  91

bearing on the nature of His kingdom and the origin of hold in the Scriptures that wonderful thing-a great
`Pilate's power to sit as judge on His case. On the road family of redeemed, in heaven, blameless and holy be-
to  Golgotha  He counsels the women to weep for them- fore God. You may be asking, Do I belong to that
selves rather than for Him. On, the cross He speaks family? If you believe in God through Christ, you do
words that join together Mary and John ,in the relation belong to this family.
of mother and son. "Today shalt thou be with me ii;                                                   G. M. Ophoff.
paradise," are His words to the penitent thief on His
right. He complains that He is  athirst.   from out of
the darkness that envelopes His cross He cries to the
Father. When it is again light, He jubilantly exclaims
with a loud voice, "It is finished." Then He commits                  SION'i3  ZANGEN
His spirit into the Father's hands and &gives  up the
ghost. So He did open His mouth.
    However; and it is this to what the prophet has                   . Jehova Tot Adonai
reference, as bowed down under the weight of the                                (Psalm 110 ; Slot)
transgressions of us all, and with the Father smiting,
bruising, afflicting, and wounding Him for our sins,            De vorige maal hebbea we mogen luisteren  naar
thus with all the billows of God's wrath going over de Godspraak, hoe Jehovah`tot David's Heer zeide : Zit
Him, He did not once in carnal wrath open His mouth aan Mijne rechterhand! De lijdende Knecht  des Heeren
to curse His terrible lot, to damn and to slay us with is  na een weg van onuitsprekelijk  lijden door den
the breath of His mouth for crucifying Him, and to Vader verhoogd  aan Zijne rechterhand.
blaspheme God for giving Him over. There was no                 Nu verder.  God is nog niet uitgesproken. Hoe zou
such wrath in Him to be sure. He was our highpriest, het ook! Zijn' Woord is eeuwig.
holy and undefiled ; the good shepherd, laying down             Zit hier aan Mijne rechterhand, Mijn Zoon, totdat
His life for His sheep, with the love of His sheep burn-. Ik Uwe vijanden zal gezet hebben tot een voetbank
ing like a fire in His soul. So, He opened His mouth Uwer-  v o e t e n .
not once in those dreadful hours, yea, He opened His            Het mag vreeselijk klinken, maar Jezus heeft  altijd
mouth indeed, but only to intercede for the transgres- vi janden gebad.
sors and to cry to Cod, "I love Thee." Accordingly, He          ,Noemt  het dwaas indien ge wilt, dwaas om U te`zet:
was brought like a lamb to the slaughter, mark you, like ten tegen Jezus; welnu, die dwaasheid is begaan voor
a non-resisting lamb or sheep. So far was He from re- bijna  zes duizend  jaren.  ?Xam was een vijand van
sisting those who came to take Him captive that He Jezus, en daarom doodde hij.. Abel. En dat is het
gave Himself into their hands. Went He not out to schema geweest van een groot bloedbad. Jezus is ge- _
them? Said He not to them, "Whom seek ye?' And durig gekruist  door alle eeuwen  heen.
when they said to Him, "Jesus of Nazareth we do seek,"          En achter  de menschen  die zich al vloekende tegen
was not His reply, "It is I, take me, I command thee", Jezus gezet hebben, staat Lucifer,  Satanas, de duivel.
such is the implication here. They take Him in obedi- En met hem de drbmmen van duivelen die .hun lot
ence to His command, and by His very own power; thus geworpen hebben met hem.
as creatures living and moving and having their being           Ziet; dat zijn altemaal vijanden van Jezus.
in Him, He being very ,God. Truly as a sheep was He             En  als ge dan voort blijft gaan met vragen, en
led to the slaughter, to the.place  of His slaughter, which zegt: maar wie zijn dan tech die vijanden? Waaraan               ~
was Golgotha. And there they dealt with Him like men kunnen  zij. onderkend worden,  dan zal Jezus  zelf U
deal with sheep. Men shear this creature, do they not? `het antwoord geven : Die  niet voor` Mij is die is tegen
They thereby rob the sheep of its coat of wool. And Mij ! Daar is het volle antwoord.
there it stands, does the sheep, naked and shivering;           Die vijanden hebben  gruwelijk  huisgehouden  in de
So dealt they with Christ. They unclothed Him and huishouding  .Gods. Zij hebben de  kinderen  van God
hung Him naked on a cross. But again, as a sheep is .gemarteld  en geslagen, gestriemd en `gedood, van eeuw
dumb before his shearers, so He opened not His mouth. tot eeuw.                                                  .
Verily, all we like sheep have gone astray. And the             Hoe men Jezus gehaat heeft en wat het karakter
Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all. And He bore van die  haat geweest is en nog is, kunt ge zien bij het
them all away, just because, as smitten and afflicted, verschijnen  van dien Zoon op aarde. We1 mag Jezus
He opened not His mouth, thus gave Himself in perfect zeggen: ze hebben Mij gehaat. En de echo is: en ze
and holy devotion. On this very account, His afflictions zullen U haten.
and nameless sorrows were received of the.Father  as a         Dus alle goddeloozen en alle duivelen iijn de vijan-
covering for all our sins, thus as the payment of all our    den. van Jezus.
moral debt before Him. And therefore we do now be               En nu zegt Jehovah tot Jezus: Zit bier aan Mijne


,
     ' 94                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

                                                                               of the .many  "proverbs" written, by Solomon, a collec-
                     FROM `HOLY WRIT                                           tion of very practical sayings containing earthly wis-
                                                                               dom. Thus, at least, has .been the contention of many
                                                                          .    so-called ,Biblical scholars, and of not a few who in-
        `.           EXPOSITION  08  HEBRhWS 125, 6                            sisted that they believe the Bible to be the revelation
             It ,is a remarkable fact, at once dead earnest and of the full counsel of God in Christ.
      comforting for the believer, that the Word of God is                          We would place overagainst this contention, that
      always practical. The Bible never is dry scholasticism. in the mind of the OId Testament church, the church
      It is never interested in a system of truth and doctrine as she was guided by the Holy Spirit of Christ, this
      for the mere sake of this ,system  and doctrine. It is book received its rightful place in the Canon, a place
      always the Word of God, ,the means of grace employed. among those inspired writings which are unto the
      by the Holy Spirit to work faith and repentance in instruction in righteousness, .that the man of God be
      Christ, or to take away all excuse' froni unbelief and thoroughly furnished unto every good work! Thus it
      disobedience.            '                                               is here understood by the inspired writer to the Heb-
              But mere syStem  of truth the Bible is `never.                   rews. It is here layed down as the rule of faith and
        This, of course, does not mean  .that the body of .godliness for the believers in Christ Jesus.
      truth as systematically arranged in Reformed  theology                        -Then, too, it. must be remembered &at the .very
      is not Scriptural.                                                       real subject addressing the "son" in Proverbs is not
              But ,,that is not the question here.                             Solomon at all, but God, the Lord, as He is the Father
                                                                     ,
              We merely mean. to state thtit the Bible "is not at all of all His sons .in Christ., Only, He employs Solomon
      a mere system. Zt is ,the Word of God spoken in former to say .this. But God remains the speaker. Not to
      times by God through the prdphets aid the Word of keep this in :mirid,  will take the very power out of this
      God spoken `in these last times through. His Son. As text, `the power of comfort and admonition: But keep-
      such it contains `a system of truth. But these @%ths ing this in mind we hear the voice of our heavenly
      are so used and handled in Scripture as to be the -do& Father in Christ Jesus, which speaks unto us as to.
                                                                               s o n s !                                          .'
      trine of godliness. Thus the aposttle Paul writes:
      Every inspired Scripture (writing) is profitable for                          This word of exhortation of God may come to us
      instruction, admonition, correction, for, the chastise- in divers manners and times, (Heb. 1: 1) , but it aZways
      ment .unto righteousness, that the man of God be speu.hx  to us as unto sons. It is always a word of ,the
      thoroughly  m&de fit unto every good work. Paul `is heavenly Father to His sons, sons by virtue'of election'
      here hot speaking  in defense of the inspiration of -and hdoption  unto children.                           Such is the implication.
      Scripture.. That is assumed. He did not here write in of the Word of ,God here in Proverbs. And that ~such
                                                                               is its very nature is also proven by the selection of the
      its defense. But he calls attention to the very tendency,
      the inherent practical import of the Word of God. relative `pronoun "which' `in the Greek `(eetis), in the -
      And this practical inherent quality is there. just be- phrase "which speaks unto you as unto sons". This
      cause it is inspired of God.                     . .                     particular pronoun in  the Greek indicates that this
                                                                               which is here stated is always true. .It under&Gores  the
              This practical thrust of  .the Bible must' not escape very nature of this "exhortation". Literally we should
      us `in the words of our. text. Our text does not here translate; "the exhortation, which is always of such a
      speak about the church in the abstract. It does `not                                                                                `
                                                                               nutzlre,. that it speaks to you as to sons". (vs. 5) .,
      speak in the third person. Such `is the case in dog-                          Hence, what was true in the case of God's people
      matics! Yes, we need dogmatics1 Rut in our text it is in the Old Testament dispensation is still true now in
      not dogmatics. But it is ,the Heavenly Father `address- the New Testament. The speaking of the Father, and
      ing His "sons". He is speaking to them, He `is' address- His attitude and purpose in speaking did, not change.
      ing us. God here. "reasons with us as with sons", and This purpose of the .word of exhortation is just `as un-
      says to us: My son! do ~tot cou# lightly the chastening changeable. as God is Himself, for Jesus is the same
      of th.e Lord, Feither faint thou whek thou art rebuked yesterday, today and forever !                                                    ,,
      of is.@                          ,`.                      .                   It was not `only the word' of exhortation .of this
       This must not escape us.                 .'                             particular text in Proverbs 3 :U-12 that speaks thus,
              We must surely give heed to this direct speaking'of but .thus is the language of ,the Father in every "divers
      God to us!'                                                              times and .manner".       Also when God speaks in. the
               Now someone may remark, that the book from form of the prophecies such is the case.  For God `uses
                                                                                                                            l 
      which the writer to the Hebrews here makes. this quo- this same language in all of the prophets, saying: "I
      tation ,is the book of Proverbs, and that this book is shall be unto you a Father, and ye shall be unto me as
      not  really a book at all; revealing the Mystery of faith sons and daughters". Thus speaketh "the Lord Al-
      and of godliness, but that it merely is the sum-total mighty"; II Cor. 6:18. )And Paul does not here give
                                                                                            I  .-
                                                                               c


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         95

us merely an isolated instance of this speaking of the 8:18. He never fainted when He was reproved, yea,
Father, but this is a compendium statement of the nut even when He was utterly forsaken of God, saying:
very constant attitude and treatment of the covenant My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me. Even
*God with His children. This will be verified by a hasty there the word of exhortation came: My Son, do not
comparison of II Sam. 7 :8, 14; Is. 43  :6 ; Jer. 31:9 and faint when Thou art reproved! He did not faint for
32 :38 ; Hos. 1 :I0 and Amos 4 :13. A detailed discus- the joy that was set before Him. Thus He endured
sion of this matter, which would indeed be interesting the cross and despised the shame !
and edifying, would lead us too far from our purpose           5. Not to see the Father's dealing with us in our
in this article.                                            personal way of suffering and affliction is therefore
    We are satisfied if only it is clear, that the "which indeed not a sign of spiritual strength, of the power
speaketh unto you as unto sons", is the constant and of faith and necessary patience, but is a sign of feeble
ever repeated way of the Father in addressing us!           hands and weak knees. It is not the "faith which is
    We trust that such now. is clear.                       the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
    We, therefore, now turn our attention to the specific things not seen". And in this case what is "not seen"
instant of this exhortation. We notice that the follow- but believed is that our lot, our particular afflictions
ing points are here underscored:                            are a cause for real joy and encouragement, because
    1. That in the very general and glorious perspective the lines have fallen unto us in pleasant places ! Our
of the book of Hebrews the call to return to the beaten affliction is that'of the treatment of a Father for His
path of the saints, the way of faith and godliness, the sons. We have the same lot as that of the external Son.
way *of boldness and freedom to enter into the most Suffering to enter into glory. And it, thus behooved
holy place of God, comes to  the sons.                      the Father to deal with us, as speaking unto sons !
    2. That it is emphasized in this letter that we are        Such is the glorious truth of the gospel, the glad
these sons in the eternal Son, Who having made a tidings concerning the redemption in Christ turning
purification for all of our sins sat down at God's right all of our sorrows into joy," and our tears into laugh-
hand. All of God's dealing with Christ was exactly ter !
as with the sons. Christ, to be sure is in the unique
position of being the King-Priest, the Redeemer. Yet,          For we must become partakers of ,God's  holiness in
even so the Christ must learn obedience from that Christ Jesus. And to make us partakers of this, God
                                                            casts us into trials, afflictions in infinite love. We
which He suffered, and must be perfected through
suffering.    Heb.  2:lO.    He must be tempted of all have such a long way to come, but the way leads into
things just as we, that He may be a merciful Saviour the most holy place through Jesus' flesh; for this flesh
and High Priest. God always says even to Him: My is the rent veil through which we enter, in humble
Son, in whom I have all of My good pleasure, I can only boldness by faith. Here we see with Asaph the real
make of you what I desire through your sufferings.          character of our afflictions that are ours every morn-
It thus "behooved  (;od" to speak to His Only Begotten ing. And from this vantage point of faith in the holy
Son in our flesh! It is the  must  of God. The Son of place we also see distant scenes and exclaim : Thou wilt
man mu3 be lifted up on the Cross and thus be per-          lead me with Thy counsel, and afterwards take me
f ected !                                                   to glory!
    3. In Him we too are then treated as Sons. He who          Here in the holy place we have a foretaste of the
does not receive this treatment in Christ is not a son !    eternal joy, and exclaim: 0 love of God, that will not
For all the sons are partakers of this. To this, Jesus let me go !
referred when He said: let it be enough unto a servant         And, 0, the blessedness .of seeing this. More and
to be like unto his lord ! Hence is filled up in us what *more we then begin to ask by faith after His will.
is still lacking in the suffering of Christ. Col.  1:24.    Thus we become partakers of His holiness. Thus our
If we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorified to-     faith is exercised.    We exercise ourselves unto the
gether with Him. Rom. 8 :17.                                godliness that has the great reward for this life and for
    4. That into this general perspective of Holy Writ, the life to come. All other things do not merely recede
which is full of grace and glory, we must place our to the background, but all things are then viewed in
text which has an immediate context. It states: And         the light of this glorious treatment of God, who always
ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against speaks unto us as unto sons ! This affliction is then
sin. (vs. 4). That was true of Jesus. He resisted unto      not the overpowering might of the tyrant to crush us,
blood. He is the chief Captain and Finisher of our but it is the master touch of the Chief Architect and
faith. He has walked this way of the dealing of God Builder, of the Father making us perfect sons. And
with His Sons in His place as the One Who is not then in faith you say: That son am I. ,God is speaking
ashamed to call us brethren, saying, "Behold, I and the to me! Nay, we turn unto the Lord and cry: Thou art
children which Thou hast given me", Heb. 2 :13 ; Is.        my Father!     ,Abba, Father.    God, my Father, the

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

       Father of Jesus my Lord corrects me and thus perfects the congregation and the pastor-elect, his son,  ,in his
       His love in me !                                          own inimitable way in a sermon on II Timothy 4, verses
             Our life is then not barren but fruitful. Our feeble 1 and 2: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the
       knees are then ,no longer evident and the weak hands Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the
       and strengthened, and our youth is renewed like that dead at his appearing and his kingdom ; Preach the
       of the eagle. Our heart will then no longer be fearful, word ; be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, re-
       for God has come to save us in His chastening.            buke, exhort. with all long-suffering and doctrine."
             Our life; which otherwise is as a desert will then The attention of both congregation and pastor-elect
       blossom as the rose in the excellencies of holiness. And was drawn' very vividly and directly to the meaning,
       the hope of presently seeing the Lord shall glow in our manner, and significance of the charge to Preach the
       hearts and we shall thus be kindled on toward that Word.
       day, when the ransomed of the Lord shall come with            Sorry to say, Rev. and Mrs. Hoeksema could not
       singing unto Zion, to which mountain we have arrived. remain long in' the West, but many of us here in, the
       (Web. 12 :22-24). And everlasting joy shall be on our West entertain the sly hope that perhaps the attraction
       foreheads !                                               of having their son here may bring them sometime for
             Being thus exercised by affliction and the Father's a longer stay, and perhaps for a few lectures and ser-
       chastisement we shall obtain gladness and joy, and mons in  Doon and elsewhere. An invitation is not
       sorrow and sighing shall flee away.                       needed !                                          *
                                                G. Lubbers.         On the 16th of October our new pastor preached
                                                                 his `in augural  sermons. In the morning he chose for
                                                                 his -text Romans  I  :16-17, calling attention to "The
.                         Doings In  Doon  I                     Gospel, God's power Unto Salvation". In the after-
                                                                 noon he drew the attention of the congregation to
              During the past eight months we, in the congrega- "Zion's Calling as the Proclaimer of Good Tidings",
       tion of  Doon,  have been through the Lord's dispensation preaching on Isaiah 40  :9.
       without a pastor. On Sunday; February 6, the Rever-           October 10 was the date of a congregational recep-
       end John Blankespoor preached his farewell to the tion for the purpose of welcoming the new pastor and
       congregation.  ,This was followed on the evening of his family into our midst. A very enjoyable evening
       February.  10 by a congregational farewell to Reverend was spent by all in making the acquaintance of both
       and Mrs. Blankespoar and their family, at which the the pastor and his wife as well as by the Reverend and
       congregation wished them the Lord's blessing in their Mrs. Hoeksema in making the acquaintance of their
       new field of labor. And even as it pleased the King new congregation.
       of His Church to take from us our beloved pastor,             With gratitude we remember the faithful" labors
       Reverend Blankespoor, He also gladdened our hearts of the Reverend Blankespoor, who spent some 6 years
       by bringing to us another of His servants, that he in our midst. And our prayer is that the Lord may
       might proclaim unto us the  .Word,  both in the weekly bless him in his new field of labor. We also wish to
       services and by means of the many other pastoral thank especially our counsellor, the Rev. A. Cammenga,
       labors. Thus our hearts were filled with rejoicing and for his assistance and for his part in the installation
       thanksgiving to our covenant God when we received the ceremony.        And to the Rev. S. Cammenga go our
       glad tidings that Candidate H.  C. Hoeksema was com- thanks as well for his help as counsellor pro  tern.  . And
       ing to help us.                                           to all `the ministers of Classis  West, as well as to our
             It was a memorable evening in Doon,  that. evening missionaries, who supplied our pulpit during our va-
       of October 13, 1949. Our little auditorium was filled cancy, we express our sincere thanks.
      to capacity, not only by those of our own congregation,       By the time that this is published, of course, the
       but also by many of our brethren from the surround- congregation and pastor of  Doon  have settled down a
     ing congregations,-attracted there not only  beeuse bit,-settled down to the normal of a busy congrega-
       of their feeling of unity and fellowship with  Doon,  but tional life. And it is our prayer that we may, with
      also because the Consistory of  Doon had asked Rever- our new pastor, experience a fruitful ministry of the
       end Herman Hoeksema, father of their pastor-elect, Word under the blessing of our gracious heavenly
       to be present and to deliver the sermon for the occasion. Father, and that with all our Protestant Reformed
      This was the first time that Reverend Hoeksema had Churches we may experience that the Lord doth pros-
      been present in Northwest Iowa since the time that per Zion, and may have grace to be true to the glorious
      he was stricken nearby here two years ago. And so heritage which He hath given us.
      from far and near our people were represented in Doon                          The Consistory of Doon,  Iowa,
      that evening. The Reverend Hoeksema charged both                                          J. Vanden  Top, Clerk.


VOLUME XXVI                             December 1, 1949 - Grand Rapids, Mich.                                     NUMBER 5 ,

                                                                      and life? And does not His acquaintance spell an
        M E D I T A T I O N                                           eternity of bliss?
                                                                          Yet, when heavenly light begins to shine into our
                                                                      hearts and understanding we see Divine logic, and
                                                                      grow still in admiration.
            The Gospel Heralds                                            It was night indeed: spiritually.        God's chosen
                                                                      church was in extreme darkness. The sending of the
            "And  .there  were in the same country shepherds          heralds in the night of Jesus' birth was fitting indeed.
          abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock        That is the way Jesus found His own ; in the darkness
          by night. And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon          of folly, ignorance, wickedness and utter condemnation.
          them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about               The actual, physical darkness of that night near
          them: and they were sore afraid. And the Angel              Bethlehem is a sermon of God.
          said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I `bring you
          good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.        By it the Lord says to us: it was time that I sent
          For unto you is born this day in the city of David          Jesus, My Son. You were in a miserable estate.
          a Saviour  which is Christ the Lord. `And this shall            And when we have difficulty to understand why the
          be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped          Lord sent His'wonderful heavenly chorus to such lowly          "
          in swaddlingclothes, lying in a manger. And sud-            folk, the shepherds of Bethlehem, then He tells us t.hat
          denly there was with the angel a multitude of the           also there we listen to a sermon of God. And the ser-               '
          heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God
          in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward        mon has content: I send My Son to the lowly and                .
          men.                                  -Luke 2 :8-14.        the humble. He is not for the righteous but for humble
                                                                      sinners.
   Isaiah tells us that God's thoughts are not our
thoughts and that as the heavens are higher than the                      I think we are ready to listen to the beautiful music .
earth, so the Lord's ways are higher than our ways, of the voice of an angel: let us be very still.
and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.
   And if you would look for a case in point, I would
direct you to the story of the birth of Jesus.                            And the angel said unto them: Fear not: for, be-
   Everything is so passing strange!                                  hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
   We know that everything came to pass by Divine                     be to all people.                    ..-
appointment, but, oh, how different we would have                         These shepherds are believing shepherds. They
planned this great event.                                             were children of God, regenerated, converted, believing
   It is generally agreed that this event is the most men. They are of the remnant which always remains
wonderful in all history: the Incarnation of the Lord on this sin-ridden earth.
God.                                                                      I take it that you do not disagree with this .evalu-
   Well: what do we find at this point in history?                    .ation  of this happy group of lowly men?
   This : we are taken outside a small village in a dis-                  If you did, I would point out to you that there is
possessed country of lowly people. We are told that it plenty proof in the text.
was darkest night. And the event of all events is first                   They are recipients of a Divine commission.
heralded by angels to-of all people-lowly shepherd                        They receive Divine glory to shine round about
folk who are watching their flock by night!                           t h e m .             .
   And this concerns the King of kings and the Lord                   They receive a Divine message, and the message
of lords? is He not the very King of heavenly Light was first of all for them. It was emphatically first of


I           98                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
            all for them. Listen to the angel's testimony:          <!         too much when he called his message good tidings of
                  I bring yozc good tidings.                        1  .:"%-,  ,&eat   joy?
                                                                     ,.l,^
                  PJnto you  -is born: a Saviour.                                 Imagine that you would have to continue to own
                  A sign unto you.                                             your sins, your guilt and you condemnation? Suppose
                  I'e shall find the Babe.                                     they would stick to you until you stand before the
                  And if we would still doubt I would be encouraged judgment seat of Almighty God? What wouId  happen
           to believe in their piety and-fear of <God when I read of :to you ? I will tell you: He would thunder from the
            their conduct.                                                     /throne and say: Depart from Me you wicked-doer!
                  Listen to their speech: Let us now go even  unto And the angels of God, with flaming faces of righteous
            Bethlehem, etc.                                               I    anger, would take you and bring you to your fitting
                  Their deeds : They hasten, see, believe, proclaim place in hell !
            and praise and glorify God !                                          But your Saviour came ! A Man, who is also Al-
                  Oh yes, we begin to see the beauty and wisdom of mighty ,God, came and He said unto you: My beloved
            God'sappointments relative the birth of His Son.                   child, I will go to hell for you, because all God's  right-
                  These lowly shepherds are your and my repre- eousness must be fulfilled. God's justice demands that
            sentatives. We must find ourselves in them, in their the sin you committed be paid, and that payment is
            identity, speech and conduct. If we do not belong to eternal hellfire. And I will go the deep and sorrowful
            the meek, the lowly and the poor in spirit, Jesus is not way to eternal  torment's0  that you may be happy for-
            for us.                                                            ever! I ask you : is not that a good tiding of great joy?
                  The shepherds that receive the Divine sight of glory            How can people hear and read `of this Saviour and
            and a heavenly commission are representatives of the not go with beaming faces to .God and tell Him of their
            "men of good will". The shepherds are the representa- thanksgiving and praise?
            tives of the seven thousand that always remain upon
            the earth until the last day. They represent the -4nna's                                    mr\3
            the Simeons, the Josephs and the Mary's: They repre-
          ' sented you and me, and all the God-given children to                  Good tidings of great joy?
            Jesus.                                                                Attend to this: He is Christ!
                                                                                  And Christ means the Anointed. And anointing
                                      -N                                       of the Lord means that there is work for you to do, it
                                                                               means that you are authorized and capacitated to do
                  And what wonderful message they received! And a certain work for the Lord.
     .      we with them!                                                         Therefore Jesus is also the Christ for those lowly
                  With beauteous voice this great Angel of the Lord shepherds.                 And also for us that find our picture in
            told them of the Saviour !                                         these simple souls.
                  Oh, how we needed that Saviour !                                And pray, what may Christ mean? To what work
                  For we are in a dreadful estate because of our sins, is He ordained and qualified?
          . guilt and damnation.                                                  And the answer is equally joyous for God's people.
                  But Jesus came. This Angel that God sent tells us It is this: He is commissioned of God to do the work
            of Him: Fear not: I will tell you of a Saviour.                    which we left undone, and, in the second,place,  to exalt
                  Fear not!                                                    our estate from the earthy to the heavenly, from the
                  Yes, I can imagine that these poor shepherds trem-           temporal to the eternal and from the. carnal to the
            bled in fright of this strange light and these wonder- spiritual. That is the Christ's work for  us.'
            ful beings that came from the heavens.                                And first, that means that He must fulfill the work
                  But they need not fear for these angels that sur- of the prophet. He must know God. And He does.
            round them love them, and they bring wonderful news :                 And He is the great Prophet of God, knowing God,
            Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy!               for us! That is so wonderful on Christmas morn.
                  Unto you is born a Saviour !                                 Here is our Christ! Here is He who knows the Father *
                  Yes, and that Saviour proved to be Jesus of Nazar-           such as Adam never would have known Him. And He
            eth who is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins knows Him for us, and then declares this Father to us,
            of the world, the world of God's good-pleasure,                    and so we learn  ,to know God in intimate communion
                  He is a Saviour, for He will offer Himself willingly and fellowship.
            as the Lamb of God. As an act of His will He shall be                 And He is also our Priest.
            slaughtered for our sins and guilt and damnation. He                  A Priest must be able to love. That is essentially
            will shed His precious blood so that the children may the work of a priest.
            go Home, Home with <God.                                              Must I say anything at all about this point? The
                  I  ask you : did this wonderful Angel of the Lord say smallest child in catechism knows about the wonderful


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            99
                                                       -
 love of Christ. How He came, suffered, died on the                Blessed Christmas !
 cross as the supreme act of the loving High Priest who            And then we have the end of this wonderful story.
 was so concerned about the sins of the people.                    When this Angel of God had stood in the midst of
     And He is also our King.                                   the shepherds and when he had finished telling the
     The King must rule in righteousness before the story of all this goodness and joy, he might have gone
 great King in the heavens above.  IAnd that is your back to heaven, but he did not. Instead, he was slowly
 Christ. He did rule and shall rule over all the works raised from the earth, and was engulfed in a host of
 of God's hand, and here is the Gospel of Christmas:            angels that surround him, and listen: we are going to
 you are allowed to rule with Him. You may presently be educated in the correct way of the praises of God.
 sit in His throne and rule with Him and all God's child-          Glory to God in the highest!        ""'
 ren. And our rule shall be in righteousness. For our              That is strange.       I would have made the first
 Christ's name is the Lord our Righteousness !                  stanza, and the first line of the stanza, to be expressive
                            -      -                            of the boon to man ! And also there is my mistake.
     Good tidings of great joy that shall be to all the         We are always inclined to be anthropological instead
 people of God!                                                 of theological. But the angels know all that. And they
     Yes, there is more.                                        follow the correct order.
     This Saviour who is Christ, is moreover, your Lord !          And this is the correct order: God first. God must
     And this means that Jesus is commissioned to wrest always be first.
 all things from the power of the devil and thus  estab-           He gave the Son so that the Father might be known
 lish His own Kingdom on the basis of righteousness.            among  rn+ And knowing the Father. they might
 And also, that He will be the Head of the Church. He glorify Hiin forever.,
 is our Lord. It means that He has bought us, that we              Did you ever think on it that even sin came so that
 belong to Him and not to ourselves.                            God might be glorified as the Saviour, as the Great
     The Saviour is our Lord.                                   Shepherd ?
     It means that He rules us absolutely by His Holy              Well, the angels think on that wondrous mystery
 Spirit and Divine Word.                                        unto all eternity. And they are not going to change
    And that is the reason why we always stress that the order in that night outside Bethlehem.
 Word and pray for that Spirit. We desire to be ruled              Listen to them: Glory to God in the highest!
 by Him for then we know that all is well.' He will                Are you ready to sing it with the angels, the shep-
 surely bring our little ship into His haven of rest.           herds, the seven thousand that are left in Israel?
     And this Lord will finally be revealed `unto the . Are you desirous of singing that song unto all  *
 whole Universe at His own day. Then the living God eternity?
 will proclaim Him to this Universe as the King of kings           You are when you are a man of good will on
 and the Lord of lords.                                         Christmas.
     Yes, this also belongs to the Gospel of great joy:            And then not as the world interprets that phrase.
+ He shall rule the wicked with a rod of iron. For He But as we see the examples in these lowly shepherds.
 alone is the Lord.                                             They are the men of goodwill and those that are like
     Oh, what tidings, what good tidings of great joy to them. They hear, they obey, they see the sign and go
 all the people of God !                                        out praising God and telling His wonders abroad.
                                                                   And on earth peace !
                                                                   Is it? Is not this some grisly jest? Peace on earth?
     Yes, and this shall be a sign unto you : you shall find    Look at the twenty centuries that followed this song,
 the Babe wrapped in swaddlingclothes and lying in a and we tremble of all the war and rebellion. Yes, but
 manger.                                                        the angels are singing of the peace of God. And that
     Wonderful wisdom!                                          was established on earth in the Christ child. ":
     God knew that we need the sign ! And in His pity              To men of goodwill.
 and compassion He gave this most wonderful sign of all          We tremble again. Oh, what a marvellous lot if we
 signs.     The unspeakably rich  ,God in the dirt and may belong to this select company.
 squalor of a dirty stable. What a wonderful sign!                 The phrase means: men who are the object of the
 At one glance, that is, if we are like the believing shep- goodwill of God ! They are those that are loved from
 herds, at one glance they see the sign: and this is the all eternity. God looks down on them in His ever-
 meaning: I, the rich God, am come down in your dirt lasting pity and compassion and He delivers them from
 and squalor in order to remove it and to make you all their misery.
 beautiful forever !                                               Wish I had the tongue of an angel to sing, to sing
    I ask again: is it not a tiding that is good, that'will     of my Redeemer!
 be unto great joy for ever and ever?                                                                         G. Vos.
                                                                              -.&*t:    .  `.

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

                                    The Standard Bearer
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                                Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids, Mich,                                                                                                                                              As To Conditions
                                         EDITOR: - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
Contributing Editors:  - Rev. G.  M. Ophoff, Rev. G. Vos, Rev.                                                                                                                                        Thus far we have shown:
R. Veldman, Rev. H.  Veldman,  Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                                                          1. That in our Confessions the term conditim  never
Rev. J. D. De  Jong,  Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.                                                                                                                                       occurs in a good sense. From this we may safely con-
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J.  A. Heys,                                                                                                                                      clude that in the Reformed system of dootrine there is
Rev. W.  Hofman.
     Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                                                    neither room for nor need of the term. For, first, our
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                                                          fathers were well acquainted with the term; and,
Michigan.                                                                                                                                                                                          secondly, in our Reformed symbols we have a rather
     Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                                                   complete and even elaborate system of doctrine, so
to MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                                                         that we might certainly expect that, if the term con-
Mich. Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the .dition were at all important, if not indispensable, for
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                                                                     the expression of Reformed truth, it would occur in
notice.
Renewals:-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-                                                                                                                                      these symbols. Yet it is never employed there in a
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                                                                  sound sense.
to continue without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                                                                                                 2. That in those Confessions faith never appears
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                                                            as a condition, but uniformly as a means or instrument
                                    (Subscription Price 32.50 per year)                                                                                                                            which *God works in the heart by the Holy Spirit. And
                                                                                                                                                                                                   to be sure, faith cannot be a condition which somehow
                                                                                                                                                                                                   man must fulfill-and a God-given instrument, which He
                                                                                        -                                                                                                          unconditionally works in man's heart, at the same
                                                                                                                                                                                                   time.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      3. That the gift of faith, according to the same
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Confessions, flows from God's unconditional election.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   We are not chosen on-condition of, but unto faith. In .
                                                            C O N T E N T S                                                                                                                        God's decree, therefore, faith does not occur as a con-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   dition. It follows that it cannot appear as such in time,
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                                                        either objectively in the promise of the gospel, or sub-
        The Gospel Heralds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9'7                                     jectively in the experience of the believers.
                   Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                        4. That, in the Confessions, the term condition is
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                                                        always attributed to the Pelagians and Arminians.
        As To Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100                               They, and they only, had room for and need of the
        C^orrespondence  ,....................................,............................,.....  102
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                               term. And, to my mind, this is sufficient reason to be
                                                                                                                                                                                                   "vuurbang" for the term, and not even to attempt to
THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE-                                                                                                                                                                              employ the term in a sound Reformed sense, lest we
           An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . ...*. I...... 102
                   Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                "instill into the minds of the imprudent and inexperi-
                                                                                                                                                                                                   enced . . . the poison of the Pelagian errors." Canons
        Van Boeken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:;                   II, B, 6.
                    Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                  I think that the truth of the above conclusions is
OUR DOCTRINE                                                                                                                                                                                       plain to all our readers.
           The Counsel Of God. (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109                                                    The term  faith as a condition  is not confessionally
                   Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                                                 Reformed; is, on the contrary Pelagian and Arminian.
           Prof.  `B. kolwerda's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112                                                           But we are still discussing the Canons.
                    Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                                 We meet with the term condition, as ascribed to
SION'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                                                    the Pelagians, also in I, B. 4.
           Van Ganscher Harte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117                                         There we read : "The true doctrine of election and
                    Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                                                    reprobation having been explained, the Synod rejects
        A Psychopathic Hospital for Mentally Defective                                                                                                                                             the errors of those:
           Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120        "Who teach: That in the election unto faith  th.is
                   Rev. G. Vos.                                                                                                                                                                    condition is beforehand demanded, viz., that man
                                                                                                                                                                                                   should use the light of nature aright,  be pious, humble,
t                                                                                                                                                                                         4


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D B E A R E R                                           101

meek; and fit for eternal life, as if on these things there are no conditions which man must or can fulfill.
election were in any way dependent. For this savors                But if you speak of conditions in the matter of sal-
of the teaching of Pelagius, and is opposed to the doc- vation, no matter how or where or when, you deny lthat
trine of the apostle, when he writes : `Among whom we salvation is of God, and you agree with the Mssrs.
also. once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires    Pelagius and Arminius.
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature child-            That is why. our fathers were so "vuurbang"  for
ren of wrath, even as the rest; but God being rich in the term conditions.
mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even             Some Reformed theologians use the term and camou-
when we were dead through our trespasses, made us flage it by adding that God Himself fulfills all con-
alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been ditions which He demands.
saved), and raised us up with him, and made us  Cto sit            This, however, is plain nonsense.
with him in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus; that in              For a condition is either something which man
the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches must fulfill in order to receive grace from aGod, or it
of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus ; for is no condition, but simply a work of God.
by grace have ye been saved through faith ; and that               Faith, or believing the promise. of the gospel, is
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, either a condition the fulfillment of which God de-
that no man should glory.' Eph. 223-9."                         mands of man before He saves him, and in order that
   The Arminians taught an election on the basis of             God may establish His covenant with Him; or the gift
foreseen faith and perseverance. God had chosen of faith, together with the act of believing, is the sover-
those whom He knew would believe and persevere. eign work of God, and then it is no condition.                              .
Faith, therefore, is a condition in the counsel of God,            And only the latter is true.
unto salvation. Yet, they understood, too, that man                We say that the sinner is responsible for the sin
does not have this faith of himself. Scripture teaches of unbelief ; and rightly so, because he is a rational and
too plainly that it is a gift of God.-; ,Now, how did they m o r a l   b e i n g .                                               -
meet or rather circumvent this difIiculty         By their         But did you ever hear that he is responsible for
theory of "common grace", or of the proper use of the his faith, even though by faith he .becomes  a rational
light of nature. By this theory, they could even, if and moral being in highest and perfect freedom?
need be speak of an election unto faith ! 0, the error             To be sure, no Reformed man would ever speak
is made to look so much like the truth ! When the thus.
Reformed believer speaks of sovereign grace, the  `Ar-             But in the article quoted above, the Pelagians and
minian  agrees with him  wholeheartedly+t  is all of Arminians teach that man is responsible for his own
God! When the Reformed believer confesses to believe faith, for it is entirely up to him, up to his free will,
in election, the Arminian has no objection. When the up to his fulfillment of certain conditions, viz., the
Reformed child of God confesses that we are saved proper use of natural light,~ whether or no God will
through faith, and that faith is a gift of  :od, the bestow or not bestow faith on him.
Arminian agrees with him. And yet their views are                  Did you ever hear of the nonsense of a man's being
opposed to each other as' light and darkness. This responsible for his own election?
becomes apparent as soon as you ultimately ask the                 Yet that nonsense, is the plain implication of the
question: but to whom does God give this saving theory of the arch heretics Pelagius and Arminius.
faith? Then the Reformed believer confesses: God For they teach that man is eleoted unto salvation on
gives the saving faith to whom He will, uncondition- condition of faith, or on condition of the proper use of
ally; according to His absolutely free and sovereign his natural light.
and unconditional election ! There are absolutely no               And ultimately any theory of conditions must lead
conditions in the matter of salvation, no condition of to the same Arminian error.
faith, neither any conditions unto faith ! But the same            I have` room in this issue for just one more refer-
question the Arminian answers as follows: God be- ence to the Canons. In Art. 5 of I, B, we read:
stows the gift of faith upon those that are willing to             "The, true doctrine concerning election and rejection
receive it. There is, after all, a condition attached having been explained, the Synod repects  the errors of
unto election unto faith, and that condition is that those who teach:
man ,must use the light of nature aright,  that by that            "That the incomplete and non-decisive election of
light he must walk humbly and in meekness before particular persons to salvation occurred because of
God, become pious, and render himself worthy and fit foreseen faith, conversion, holiness, godliness, which
for eternal life!                                               either began or continued for some time; but that the
   Thus the question is always ultimately: is salvation complete and decisive election occurred because of fore-
determined by God or by man?                                    seen perseverance unto the end in faith, conversion,
   If you answer: by God, you say at the same time:             holiness and godliness ; and that this is the gracious

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

      and evangelical worthiness, for the sake of which he not strange that a year and a half after our  F&nod
      who is chosen, is more worthy than he who is not chos- addressed you we did not hear one word from them?
      en; and that therefore faith, the obedien& of faith, holi- I certainly think so.
     ness, godliness and perseverance are not fruits of the                   One more remark, esteemed brother.
      unchangeable election unto glory, but are conditions,                   At the close of your article, you write that it is
      which being required beforehand, were foreseen as not your purpose to invite more polemics, and that you
      being met by those who will be fully elected, and are even urgently request not to start a discussion about
      causes without which the unchangeable election to your article. That is impossible. If you will read your
      glory does not occur."                                          article again, you will admit that it provokes discus-
             This articlee  needs, perhaps, some elucidation for sion throughout. But what of it? If (the discussion is
      some of our readers, perha'ps  for most of them.                 only conducted in a brotherly spirit, it can only be
             We' will therefore wait with discussing it till our beneficial to a better understanding between us.
      next issue.
             But even now I want to point out that one who sets                                   With love and esteem,
      his feet on the path of conditions moves on a very                                                          Oom Herman.
      slippery road.
             For once he speaks of faith as a condition, there is
      no possibility of stopping, and he will soon discover
      that the entire way of salvation is strewn with con-
     * ditions.
             But about this next time.                                        THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE
                                                      H     .          II.
.                                                                      An Exposition Of The Heidelberg
                                                                                              Catechism
                         Correspondence                                                        PART TWO
                                                                                     O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n
      Prof. C. Veenhof
      Kampen,  The Netherlands.                                                           LORD'S DAY XXVII.

             Esteemed brother :-                                                                      4.
             Your letter and article for the Standard Bearer I                       Infant Baptism and Its Ground.
       received. Thanks. As soon as I have a little time
       (I am very busy again, believe it or not !) I will answer                                      A.                 '
      the letter personally.                                                  The Heidelberg Catechism in Question and Answer
             As .to your article, as soon as possible I will publish 74 treats of the subject of infant baptism as follows:
       it; But you must have a little patience. You must "Are infants  aIso to be baptized? Yes: for since they,
       understand that your articIe will have to be translated, as well as the adult, are included in the covenant and
       for otherwise many of our readers cannot read it.               church of God ; and since redemption from sin by the
       That means that I will have to put it on the wire re- blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost, the author of
      corder, send the reel to my. son in  Doon,  Iowa, and faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult;
       have him type it for me. It also means that  1 will have they.must  therefore by baptism, as a sign of the cove-
       to publish it in installments, for your article is rather nant, be also admitted into the Christian church ; and
       long, and together with its translation, it will require be distinguished from [the children of unbelievers as
       considerable space, especially if my comment is added. was done in the old covenant or testament by circum-
       I will, however, try to have the first installment in the cision, instead of which baptism is instituted in the
       next issue, and ask the, printer to send you all the issues new covenant."
       in which your article appears by airmail.                              Hence,`the  Catechism offers a three-fold ground for
             You write in your letter, brother, that you would the baptism of infants. The argument in favor of in-
       consider it a calamity if separation or alienation be- fant baptism runs as follows:
       tween your and our churches would be the result of the                 1. Children are included in the covenant and church
       recent trouble between us. To this I can subscribe. of God.
       But, brother, why don't your. committee of correspond-                 2. The promise of the covenant is for them as well
       ence do their duty and get into contact with us? Is it as for the adult,--redemption and the Holy Ghost.


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               103

   3. Baptism as a sign of the covenant, like circum- parents are. in duty bound, further to instruct their
cision, must therefore be applied to them.                  children herein, when they shall arrive to years of dis-
   This is no doubt a sound and thoroughly Scriptural cretion."
argument.                                                   The above. quotations, therefore, represent the
   Virtually the same ground for infant baptism is official position of the Reformed churches. They hold
offered by the  Netherland Confession  in Article 34. .that children must be baptized because they are in-
There.we read : "Therefore we believe, that every man, cluded in the covenant of ,God,  and therefore are heirs
who is earnestly studious of obtaining life eternal, of all the promises of salvation. Whether or not this
ought  to be but once baptized with this only baptism, can be said of all the children born under the covenant
without ever repeating the same: since we cannot be is a different question ; that is worthy of a separate
born twice. Neither doth this baptism only avail us, discussion. Now, however, it must be established that
at the time when the water is poured upon us, and it is the Reformed position that children are and must
received by us, but also through the whole course of be baptized because they are included in .the covenant
our life ;  Itherefore  we detest the error of the  Ana- of God and the promises of salvation are theirs.
baptists, who are not content with the one only bap-           It would seem to us, however, that something should
tism they have once received, and moreover condemn be added to `this. The question naturally arises : Why
the baptism of the infants of believers, whom we be- are children included in the covenant of God? And
lieve ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the answer to this question must be : because God estab-
the covenant, as the children in Israel formerly were lishes His covenant in the line of continued generations.
circumcised, upon the same promises which are made There is only one people of God throughout the ages,
unto our children. And indeed Christ shed His blood both in the old and in the new dispensations, the true
no less for the washing of the children of the faithful, seed of Abraham:                                  ""  ,-  _
than for adult persons ; and therefore they ought to          It is important, especially in opposition to  the; ,view
receive the sign and sacrament of that, which Christ of the premillenialists, who must needs reject the Scrip-
bath done for them; as the Lord commanded in the law, tural truth of infant baptism, that we see this point
that they should be made partakers of the-sacrament clearly. The deepest reason why all baptists reject the
of Christ's suffering and death, shortly after they were baptism of infants is that they fail to recognize the
born, by offering for them a lamb, which was a sacra- truth that the people of God are one and the same
ment of Jesus Christ. Moreover, what circumcision throughout all ages and that the same covenant is
was to the Jews, that baptism is to our children. iAnd established with them and with their children through-
for this reason Paul calls baptism the circumcision of out their generations, both in the old and in the new
Christ."                                                    dispensations.
   And again, essentially the same argument is follow-         Especially the pre-millenialist fails to  see*this truth
ed in our "Form for the Administration of Baptism". and denies it emphatically. According to him  &here
There we read: "And although our young children do are really two peoples of God, two different seeds of
not understand these things, we may not therefore ex- ,Abraham:  the Jews and the Church, natural Israel
clude them from baptism, for as they are without their and spiritual Israel. The Jews are the real and natural
knowledge, partakers of the condemnation in Adam, Israel, with special privileges, a special promise, a
so are they again received unto grace in Christ ; as God separate covenant for them only, and a special future.
speaketh unto Abraham, the father of all  lthe faithful,    For them is meant  4he earthly Jerusalem, earthly
and therefore ,unto us and our children (Gen. 17:7),        Mount Zion< the earthly throne of David, the earthly
saying, `I will establish my covenant between me and temple, and the earthly land of Canaan for an ever-
thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for lasting possession. They are and will be the real and
an everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee,  and true Israel forever, the proper seed of Abraham. But
to .thy seed after thee.' This also the Apostle Peter believers in the new dispensation are called the seed
testifieth, with these words (Acts  2:39), `For the of  -4braham  in a figurative, spiritual sense of the
promise is unto you, and lto your children, and to all      word. df them the apostle speaks in his third chapter
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God of the Epistle to the Galatians.
shall call.' Therefore God formerly commanded them             However, I emphatically maintain that this view
to be circumcised, which was a seal of the covenant, is erroneous and contrary to Scripture. Over against
and of the righteousness of faith ; and therefore Christ it I. offer that the Word of God kn0w.s  only of one seed
also embraced them, laid his hands upon them and of Abraham, the spiritual seed, the elect, the children
blessed them (Mark 10).                        /-           of the promise. This is true both of the old and of the
   `Since then baptism  is  come in the place of cir- new dispensations. It is by no means correct to say
cumcision, rtherefore  infants are to be baptized as heirs that in the old dispensation the Jews were  *the seed of
of the kingdom of God, and of His covenant. And Abraham, while in the new dispensation believers are

                                                .,

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

this seed. To put it very emphatically and concisely: father of circumcision to them who are not of the
the Jews never were the  xed of  A.bruhum.   It is in- circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of
deed correct to say that for a time the seed of Abraham that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being
were found exclusively among Abraham's descendants, yet uncircumcised. For the promise, that he should
as they are found now among all nations. But Scrip- be the heir of then world, was not to Abraham, or to
ture never identifies Abraham's descendants with the his seed, through the law, but, through the righteous-
seed of Abraham.        The latter, the children of the ness of faith. For if they which are of the law be
promise, are at all  ltimes only the believers. In the heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
times of *the old dispensation they are found in the effect : Because the law worketh wrath : for where no
generations of Seth, Noah, Abraham, Israel. In the law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of
new dispensation they are among all nations, there faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise
being no difference any more between Jew and Gentile. might be sure to all the seed ; not to that only which
But wherever they are found, the children of the is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of
promise, named after Abraham as the father of be- Abraham ; who is the father of us all." It is, of course,
lievers, are always the true children of God, the be- impossible, neither is it necessary, to offer a detailed
lievers. These, and these only, are the seed of Abra- explanation of this rich passage of Scripture here. -It
ham.                                                       is only necessary to point out the salient points in the
       I will now take time out to prove this contention passage, that prove my contention that not the Jews
from the Word of ,God.                                     as such, but only believers are the true seed of Abra-
   And then we naturally turn first of all to Romans ham, both in the old and in  the, new dispensalion.
9 :6-8 : "Not as though the word of God  bath, taken Notice, in the first place, that Abraham is here pic-
none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of tured as `the father of all them that believe, both of
Israel. Neither, because they are the seed of Abra- those that are of the circumcision (the Jews), and of
ham, are they all `children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed those that are of the uncircumcision (all nations).
be called. That is, They which are the children of the They that believe, therefore, are the seed of Abraham,
flesh, these are not the children of God: but the          whether they are of the law or simply of faith. Second-
children of the promise are counted for the seed." ly, note that the text emphasizes that only in that sense
From this passage it is abundantly .evident  : first, that is he the father of circumcision: not all that are of the
in the passage itself as well as in the context the circumcision, that is, that are circumcised in their flesh,
apostle is speaking of the Jews of the old dispensation ; are the true seed of Abraham, but only those among
there can be no doubb about this truth. Secondly,  i? is them that also believe. For he is the father of circum-
plain that the apostle here makes a distinction between cision, that is, "to them who are `not of the circumcision
those that are of Israel and those that are Israel in- only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of
deed.      The people as such, the nation, were all of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncir-
Israel ; but even in the old dispensation that nation was cumcised." vs. 12. And finally, note in the third place,
not Israel. They were indeed all of the seed of Abra: thatto this one seed there is one and the same promise
ham according to the flesh ; yet they were not all the that with their father ,Abraham  they should be heir of
true, spiritual seed. Thirdly, it should be evident that the world. They which are merely of the law and of
according to the passage only spiritual Israel, believers, the flesh are not heirs of the promise of all ; but only
they that were born not of the flesh but of the promise, they which are of the faith of our father Abraham,
that is, by the power of that promise, as Isaac was, are and he is the father of us all. One father Abraham,
counted for the seed. When, therefore, the Lord speaks one seed of Abraham, one promise, and one `way to
of the seed of *Abraham,-such is the whole argument obtain the promise, the way of the righteousness which
of the apostle,-you must not make the mistake of ap- is by faith,-such is the clear teaching of this rich
plying that Word of God to the Jews as such. It does passage of Scripture.
not mean the Jews, but only the true Israel, the child-       I would also call your attention to the well-known
ren of the promise: for they, and they only, are the       passage in Romans 2:28, 29  :. "For he is not a Jew,
seed of Abraham. And therefore the Jews were never which is one outwardly ; neither is that circumcision,
the seed of Abraham, although the seed of Abraham which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which
for a time were Jews.                                      is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart,
       Next, let us consider Romans 4  :11-16  : "And he in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the right- not of men, but of God." This passage is very clear,
eousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircum- and speaks for itself. It teaches us very plainly that
cised: that he might be the father of all them that the mere- Jew was never the seed of Abraham, was
believe, though they be not circumcised ; that right- never a real Jew. Only, he was a real Israelite in whose
eousness might be imputed unto them also: And the heart was present the spiritual reality corresponding


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       10.5

 to the sign of circumcision, that is, faith. Here, too, of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth
 therefore it is emphasized that not the Jews are the the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
 seed of Abraham. They never were. Believers only Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
 are.                                                        son ; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
    Again, 1 would call your attention to a passage that        Also of this passage I can only accentuate the main
 is, perhaps, the clearest statement of the unity of the points, in as far as they apply to the truth of my main
 people of  *God in the old and new dispensations. I have contention in this connection, namely : that only. be-
 reference to Galatians 3 :`7-9, 16-25 ; and 4 :l-7.    In lievers, both of the old and of the new dispensation,
 3 :`7-9 we read : "Know ye therefore that they which are the true seed of Abraham.- Notice, therefore, in
 are of faith, the, same are. the children of Abraham. the first place, that the apostle here teaches that essen-
 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify tially and centrally the seed of Abraham is Christ, and
 the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel He only. This truth the apostle emphasizes in verse
 unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be 16, where he draws an argument from the fact that the
 blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed singular seed is used, instead of the plural seeds. The
 with faithful Abraham." And in the same chapter, seed of Abraham, therefore, is Christ. Secondly, if
 verses 16 to 29, we read: "Now to PAbraham  and his Christ is the seed of Abraham in the-central sense, it
 seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to stands to reason that they only can be seed with Him
 seeds, as of many ; but as of one, And to thy seed, which that are in Him, whether they be of the old or of the
 is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was new dispensation. And so the apostle teaches in verse
 confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was 7 of chapter 3: "Know ye therefore that they which
 four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
 that it should make the promise of none effect. For Only believers, therefore, are the seed of Abraham
 if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of prom-    whether it be in the old or in the new dispensation.
 isee:  but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Where- Then, in the third place, the entire passage emphasizes
. fore then serveth the law? It was added because of that there is only one promise for the one seed of Abra-
 transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the ham, and that therefore believers are the only heirs
 promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in of the one promise, as the apostle writes in 3 :29 : "And
 the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
 mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then according to the promise." And now, in the fourth
 against the promises of God ? God forbid : for if there place,-and let us pay special attention to this,- the
 had been a law given which could have given life, apostle compares the church of all ages, of the old dis-
 verily righteousness should have been by the law. But pensation and of the new, to a growing child. In the
 the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the old dispensation it is the heir that is still a child and is
 promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to therefore under the tutorship of the law. But now in
 them that believe. But before faith came, we were the new dispensation it has grown into an adult; it is a
 kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which  should son, and has received the inheritance. The point is
 afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our here that the church of the old dispensation and that
 schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be of the new are likened unto one person. When a child
 justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are grows into an adult, does it  -become  an altogether dif-
 no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the ferent person, or is it not rather the same individual,
 children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many only developed? It is therefore the clear teaching of
 of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on the Word of God that there is only one people of God,
 Christ.    There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is that this people of God is called the seed of Abraham
 neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:    in Christ, that therefore the seed of Abraham is not the
 for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Jews as such,. neither the Gentiles as such, but the
 Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs accord- believers with faithful Abraham of the, Jews and of
 ing to the promise." And finally, in chapter 4, verses the Gentiles both. The unity of the church of all ages
 1 to 7, we read: "Now I say, That the heir, as long as is incontrovertibly established.
he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though         The same result, namely, that of the unity of the
he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors church of the old dispensation and the church of the
until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, new, is yielded by a comparison of some passages of
when we were children, were in bondage under the the Old Testament and some others of the New Testa-
 elements of the world: But when the fulness of the ment.
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a                Compare, for instance, Hosea  1 :lO, 11 with Romans
woman, made under the law, To redeem them that 9  :24-26. In the former passage we read: "Yet the
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption number  .of the children of Israel shall be as the sand


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of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; passage we read  : "In that day will I raise up the taber-
and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it nacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches
was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build
shali be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living it as in the days of old: That they may possess the
God. Then shall the children of Judah and the child- remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are
ren of Israel be gathered together, and appoint them- called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.
selves one head, and they shall come up out of the land :    Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plow-
for great shall be the day of Jezreel." This passage man shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of
relates to the ten tribes of Israel, and is evidently a grapes him that soweth seed ; and the mountains shall
prophecy of a great and glorious restoration, in which drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I
Israel shall be changed from being called Loruhamah will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel,
(not my people) into the state of being called the and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them;
sons of the living God. However, the apostle Paul in and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine
Romans 9 does not hesitate at all to interpret the thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the
passage of Hosea in such a way that it applies to the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land,
church of the new dispensation. For there we read:           and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land
"Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only,         which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God."
but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee, When you read this passage, you cannot escape the
I will call them my people, which were not my people ; impression that it is nothing but a prophecy of a literal
and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall restoration of Israel to their own `land. Yet, in Acts
come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto       15 we read: "And after they had held their peace,
them, Ye are not my people ; there shall they be called James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken
the children of the living God." It is very evident that unto me: Simeon hath declared how (;od at the first
such an application of the text in the prophecy of Hosea     did  visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for
could never be made except on the thoroughly Scrip- his name: And  to, this agree the words of the pro-
tural basis of the unity of the church of the old and of     phets ; as it is written, After this I will return, and
the neti dispensation.                                       will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen
       The same truth is evident from a comparison of down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I
Jeremiah  31:31-34  with Hebrews 8 :6-13. In the will set it up: That the residue of men might seek
former passage the prophet speaks of a new covenant after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my
which the Lord will make with Israel and Judah, as name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these
follows : "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that things." It is evident that while Amos speaks of the
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,         restoration of the tabernacle of David and of the pos-
and with the house of Judah: Not according to the session of Israel of all the heathen, of the return of
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that Israel to their own land and of their everlasting pos-
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land session of it, James in Acts 15. explains that this re-
of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I storation of the tabernacle of David is now fulfilled as
was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this in the new dispensation the Gentiles enter into the
shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of fellowship of Christ.
Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my         And thus Scripture speaks the same language
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts ; throughout.
and will be their SGod, and they shall be my people.            Always it presents the people of God as one. Con-
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour,        sistently it teaches that although there is a difference
and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: between the two dispensations, the church is the same
for they shall all know me, from the least of them essentially both in the old and in the new dispensa-
unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will tions.
forgive their iniquity, and I will remember the& sin            How otherwise would it be possible for Christ to
no more." But the Epistle to the Hebrews is quoting claim that He is in possession of the keys of the house
this passage that speaks so plainly and specifically of of David? Cf. Isaiah 22  :22 ; Rev. 3  :7. How other-
Israel and Judah with application to the church of the wise could it be explained that Scripture so pIainly
new dispensation. And again I say: such application teaches that Jerusalem and Mount Zion are not de-
can be understood only on the basis of the fact that         stroyed, but that they are now realized in the new
the church of the new and of the old dispensation is         dispensation, while only the shadows of them are gone
one and the same.                                            forever. Cf. Is. 28 :16 ; Rom. 9 :33 ; I Peter 2 :6 ; Heb.
       Oine other comparison I wish to make. It is that      12:22; Gal.  4:25, 26; Rev.  3:12;  21:2; 21: 10. And
of  has 9:11-15  with Acts 15  :13-17.     In the former the same is true of the temple, the altar, the holy place,


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               107

 the sacrifice, the high priest. Cf. Heb. 9 :l-12, 21-24 ; portant and necessary link in the chain of the Scrip-
 10:19-21;  I Cor.  3:16; II Cor.  6:16; Eph.  2:18-22; tural argument for infant baptism.
 Rev. 3 :13. And the land of Canaan which is indeed               The objection Baptists love to make against the
 promised to Abraham and his seed, and which certainly baptism of infants is not a Scriptural one, but rather
 shall be their everlasting possession, is not the earthly one they draw from their own mind. It is that bap-
 country near the Mediterranean Sea, but is the heaven- tism is a sign and seal of the righteousness of faith,
 ly country that is to come, when the new Jerusalem of the forgiveness of sin, of regeneration ; that there-
 shall come down upon the new earth. For such was fore it may be administered only to those `whom we
 the hope of the patriarchs of old. For we read in Heb. know to be believers, that is, to those that confess their
     11:8-10  : "By faith Abraham, when he was called to faith; that it is an established fact that many of the
 go out into a place which he should after receive for infants that are baptized in later life prove to be. no
 an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing children of God at all and are lost; and that for this
 whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land reason it is certainly wrong to administer the sign of
 of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in taber- baptism to children of believers' before they have come
 nacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the to years of discretion.
 same promise: For he looked for a city which hath                Against  t,his argument many objections may be
 foundations, whose builder and maker is God.!' And brought.. But I now want to emphasize what is to my
 in the same chapter, verses 13 to 16, we read: "These mind the chief objection of all: the Baptist with his
 all died in faith, not having received the promises, but argument directly argues against Scripture, and there-
 having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, fore, against the Lord. For what he here urges against
 and embraced them, and confessed that they were infant baptism holds in its full force against infant
 strangers. and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say circumcision. Yet the circumcision of infants is dired-
 such things declare plainly that they seek a country. ly enjoined by the Lord upon the seed `of Abraham in
 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country their generations.
 from whence they came out, they might have had  op-              Also circumcision was a sign  ,of the righteousness
-portunity  to have returned. But now they desire a which is by faith, of spiritual circumcision, of the
 better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God circumcision of the heart, of regeneration and sanctifi-
 is not ashamed to `be called their God: for he hatn cation, of the cutting away of the old man of sin, of
 prepared for them a city."                                   the love of God in a new heart. In  all these respects
        In short, the whole Word of #God teaches this unity the. significance of the old covenant sign  fs'the same as
 of the people of God and of all that pertains to them. of the sign of `baptism. The identity `of the two signs,
 All the promises are in Christ, and through Him they though they differ in form, I will now proceed to prove
 are for the true seed of Abraham of all ages, that is, f r o m   the,Word   o f   G o d .                           -
 the believers.                                                                                                    H;,H.
                          $ *  *  j:                                                  * * * *                                      i

                                                                                     IN  MEMORIAM
               Infant Baptism and Its Ground.
.                                                               The Men's Society of the Fourth Protesttint  Reformed Church
                               B.                             of Grand Rapids, Michigan wishes hereby to express its sym-
                                                              pathy to one of its members, Mr. Ed Yonkers, in the loss of his
                           One Sign.                          father,
        In the'preceding chapter we emphasized the truth                             Mr.  R.  Yanker
 that there is only one people of God in the old and new                                        Rev. .R. Veldman,  Pres.
 dispensations, the true seed of Abraham, the seed of                                           R. I?. Ezinga,  Sec'y.      -3
 the promise.                                                                         * * * *
        Now we must take the next step in our argument  iu
 favor of infant baptism, and show that there is also                          .TEACHERS  NEEDED
                                                                                                           _..
 essentially only one sign of the covenant, although  ifs         The Redlands,  Calif.  Protestant. Reformed School
 form changed in harmony with the twofold dispensa- is in need of two teachers for the coming school year.
 tion, according to which circumcision was the sign 0.:       One teacher for grades 1 through 4  ; and one teacher
 the old covenant, baptism ihe sign of the new.+ But for grades 5 through 9.
 although they are different in form, they are esser.tial-        For particulars, write :
 ly the same in meaning.                                                                  John De Vries, Secretary
       The Reformed churches have always called atten-                                    329 Sonora St.
tion to this truth, and correctly so, for it is an  im-                                   Redlands, California.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                   109

                                                          the wilderness, in the land of great drought.' ' In Amos
                OUR DOCTRINE                              3~2 and 8 :7 we read: "You only have I known ,of all
                       a  *                               the families of the earth: therefore I will punish YOU
                                                          for all your iniquities. . . . The" Lord hath sworn by
                                                          the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any      -b
               The Counsel Of God. (2)                    of their works." In Jeremiah 31:3 and 3'7 we read :
                                                          "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea,
     Calling attention to the counsel in the general sense I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore
 of the word we, in our previous article; defined God's with lovingkindness have I drawn- thee . . . Thus
 counsel as referring to the eternal thoughts, wisdom, saith the Lord ; If heaven above can be measured, and
 knowledge of Go*d, whereby He eternally and sover- the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
 eignly willed, foreordained, prescribed the existence I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that
 and being and development of all things in heaven and they have done, saith the Lord." Notice also how the
 on earth and in the waters under the earth, of the sovereign and unconditional love of God toward His
 things rational and irrational, animate and inanimate, own, as well as the significance of the word, covenant, .
 organic and inorganic, the life of man and beast, of is set forth in Ezekiel 16 :I-14 : "Again the word of the
 tree and plant, of all things that move- and have being, Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jeru-
 and that of the-entire. creation. We also called atten- salem to know her abominations, And say, Thus saith
 tion to the fact that this is everywhere taught in Holy the Lord God unto Jerusalem ; Thy birth and thy na-
 Writ. We did this deliberately. We did this to show tivity is of the land of Canaan ; thy father was an
 that the Word emphasizes everywhere the eternal and Amorite, and they mother an Hittite. And as for thy
 unconditional and sovereign counsel of the Lord. It nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not
 has been `Baid  of our Protestant Reformed Churches cut, neither  wast thou washed in water to supple thee ;
 that we, in our thinking and preaching, proceed from thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None
 the counsel of God. Indeed, worse things could be said eye pitieth thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have
 of us. However, "car ecclesiae" is indeed the heritage compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the
_ of our churches. And, let us understand that, doing open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that
 so, we surely stand solidly upon the revealed and in- thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw
 fallible Word of God.' And therefore we shall continue, thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when
 the Lord willing, to quote abundantly from the Divine thou wast in thy blood, Live ; yea, I said unto thee when
 Scriptures in this series of articles on the Counsel of thou wast. in -thy blood, Live. I' have caused thee to              `-
 God.                                                     multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased
                God's Counsel In Specific Sense.          and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent orna-
                                                          ments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is
     When we speak of the counsel of God in the specific grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when
 sense we refer to this counsel of the Lord as it deter- I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time
 mines the eternal destiny of all His moral creatures, was the time of love ; and I spread my skirt over thee,
 angels and particularly men. This phase of God's coun- and covered thy nakedness,: yea, I sware unto thee, and
 sel is commonly known among us as Predestination. entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God,
 The word, "predestination", means literally that the and thou becamest Mine. Then washed. I thee with
 Lord has predestined, determined before hand the water ; yea,, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from
  eternal destiny of all His moral-rational creatures. thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also
  This predestination, as having for. its objects God's with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin,
  chosen heirs of eternal life, is known as Election. And and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered
  the other aspect of this phase of the counsel of God, thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and
  as it concerns those that perish, is called Reproba- I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy
  t i o n .                                               neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and ear-
      The concept, predestination, consisting of election rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine
  and reprobation, is thoroughly Scriptural.  - First, the head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver;
  doctrine of election is everywhere taught in the Word and thy  raiment.  was of fine linen and silk, and
  of God. This is true, on the one hand, of the Old Testa- broidered work ; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey,
  ment. Of Israel we read that they have been chosen and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou
  of God to be His peculiar- possession. We read in didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went
  Hosea  13 :4-5 : "Yet I am the Lord thy God from the forth among the heathen for thy beauty : for it was
  land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me:       perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon
  for there is no Saviour beside Me. I did know thee in thee, saith the Lord God."

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

       UAlso in the book of Deuteronomy do we have re- is no God beside Me: 1 girded thee, though thou hast
peated  references to God's election of His people. In not known Me: That they may know from the rising
chapter 4  :3'7 we read: "And because He loved thy of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside
fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else."
`brought thee out in His sight with His mighty power          On the other hand, the doctrine of election is also
out of Egypt." In 7:6-8 we read: "For thou art an clearly taught in the New Testament. "As it is writ-
holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God ten, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."-Ram.
hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, 9:13; "Knowing, beloved brethren, your election of
above all people that are upon the face of the earth.      God."-1  Thess.  1:4 ; "Blessed be the God and Father
The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you,    of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all
because ye were more in number than any people ; for spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Ac-
ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord cording as He hath chosen us in Him before the founda-
loved you, and because `He would keep the oath which tion of the world, that we should be holy and without
He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought blame before Him in love:"-Eph.  1:3-4; "Peter, an
you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers. scattered
of the house of bondmen,  from the hand of- Pharaoh throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, * and
king of Egypt.'  ' And in 9 :4-6 and 10 :l5 we read:       Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God
"Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto
God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to pos- ,Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."-1 Pet.
sess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations 1 :l-2 ; "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
the Lord doth drive them out from before thee. Not beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
for thy righteousness, for the uprightness of thine mind, meekness, longsuffering;  "-Cal. 3  :12 ; "There-
heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the fore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they
wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus
drive them out from before thee, and that He may per- with eternal glory."-11 Tim. 2 : 10 ; "Paul, servant of
form the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth
*that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land which is after godliness ;"-Titus 1  :l ; "The church
to possess it for thy,righteousness;  for thou art a stiff- that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth
necked people . . . Only the Lord had a delight in you; and so doth Marcus my son."-1 Pet. 5  :13 ; "The
thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I
them, even you above all people, as. it is this day."      love in the truth ; and not I only, but also all they that
       And, finally, the doctrine of election is beautifully have known the truth . . . The children of thy elect
expressed in the prophecy of Isaiah, as in 43 :l-4 : "But sister greet thee.  Amen."-11  John  1:13; "And ex-
now saith the Lord that created thee, 0 Jacob, and He cept those days should be shortened there should no
that formed thee, 0 Israel, Fear not: for I have re- flesh be saved : but for the elect's sake those days shall
deemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art be shortened . . . For there shall arise false Christs,
Mine. When thou passe& through the waters, I will and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and
be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not wonders ; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire, deceive the very elect . . .  ' And He shall send His
thou shalt not be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle angels with a great sound of a trumpent, and they shall
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One gather together His elect from the four winds, from
of Israel, thy Saviour ; I gave Egypt for thy ransom, one end of heaven to the other.`"-Matt. 24:22,  24, 31;
Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry
in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have day and night unto Him, though He bear long with
loved thee ; therefore will I give men for thee, and them?"-Luke 18 :7 ; "Who shall lay anything to the
people for thy life"  ; in 44 :l-2 : "Yet now hear, 0      charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."-Ram.
,Jacob, My servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 8 :33; "All that the Father giveth Me shall- come to
Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast
from the womb, which will help thee ; Fear not, 0 out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine
Jacob, My servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom  I have own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this
chosen." ; and in 45 :4-6 : "For Jacob My servant's sake, . is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all
and Israel Mine elect, I have even called thee by thy which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but
name: I have surnamed thee, though thou  ha& not raise it up again at the- last day."-John 6  :37-39  ;
known  Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not:


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the works that I do in My Father's Name, they bear from before the foundation of the world they were not
witness of Me. But, ye believe not, because ye are not appointed to be Christ's sheep. And in John 12 :18,
of My sheep, as 1 said unto you. My sheep hear My' another passage which we have already quoted, Christ
voice, and I know them, and they~ follow Me: CAnd I        declares that "I speak not of you all: I know whom I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, have chosen." Hence, Christ knows whom He has
neither shall any man pluck them out of My Father's chosen, but He does not speak of all ; among them was
hand. I and My Father are one."-John 10 :25-30 ; "I also Judas, the son of perdition.
speak not of you all : I know whom I have chosen : but        Thirdly, the doctrine of Reprobation is literally
that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth `taught in the Holy Scriptures. Such is the undeniable
bread with Me hath lifted up his heel `against Me."- teaching of the Word of God in Romans 9 :13, -17, 18,
John 13  :18 ; "And when the Gentiles heard this, they 21-22, and we again quote these passages: "As it is
were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . . .
many as were ordained to eternal life believed-"-Acts For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this
13 :48.                                                    same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew
   Also Reprobation is taught in Holy Writ. In the My power in thee., and that My Name might be glorified
first place, we may certainly say that the doctrine of throughout all the earth. Therefore hath He mercy on
Election necessarily implies that of Reprobation. This `whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hard-
lies in the very nature of the case. That the Lord         eneth . . . . Hath not the potter power over the clay,
elected surely implies that He elected some and not of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
others. To maintain the one means that one must another unto dishonour? What if ,God,  willing to shew'
maintain the other. We must either maintain both or His wrath, and to make His power known, endured
deny both. And this implies not only that if we deny with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
the doctrine of Election we must also deny the doctrine destruction  :" In this passage we are taught that the
of Reprobation, but also that if we deny Reprobation Lord hated Esau with .a sovereign hatred, before he
we must repudiate the doctrine of Election. A church had done any ,evil, that He hardens whom He wills to
which fails to emphasize the truth that the Lord has harden, and that He endures with much longsufferinz'
rejected men from before the foundation of the world the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, vessels,  therc-
also fails to stress the Scriptural teaching that God has fore, whom He has eternally willed to destroy.
elected some in distinction from others.                      And, finally, the doctrine of Reprobation is taught
    Secondly, the doctrine of Reprobation is taught in in Holy Writ in all those passages where we read of the
Holy Writ, either by implication or directly. Thus we sovereign operation of the Lord in the hearts and lives
read in Deut. 7:6-8, a passage which we have already of those who perish. Such, e.g., is the teaching of the
quoted : "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord        Word of God in the well-known passage of  II Cor.
thy God: the Lord hath chosen thee to be a special         2:14-17: "Now thanks be unto God, Which always
people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For
you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that
than any people ; for ye were the fewest of all people.    are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are
But because the Lord loved you, and because He would the savour of death unto death; and to the other the
keep the oath which He had sworn unto your father:,        savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these
hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the
and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen,  from word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the
the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." Especially in the sight of God speak we in Christ." This passage of the
gospel of John is the truth of Reprobation emphasized.     Scriptures speaks for itself. We should note that the
The fact that, according to John  6:37-39,  it is the apostle declares here that God always causes them to
Father's will that Christ should lose nothing of all triumph in ,Christ. And the reason why the `preaching
which the Father had given Him, certainly stresses of the gospel always triumphs is because it is always
the truth that not all  .have been given unto Christ, successful, always does that whereunto it is sent,
and that, therefore, He came into this world with the whether as a savour unto life or as a savour unto dea'h.
specific intention and calling to save some and that in And we should note that, whether the gospel is a savour
distinction from others. In John  lo:26 we hear the unto life or unto death, it is, in each instance, a sweet
Saviour say unto the unbelieving Jews that they believe savour unto life or unto death. That God, through
not because they are not of His sheep. This is truly the gospel, quickens the one b:lt also hardens the other
a terrible word. Jesus does not say that they are not surely presupposes the doctrine of Reprobation. This
of His sheep because they believe not, but that they is also taught in Isaiah 55  :10-X :- "For as the rain
believe not because they are not of His `sheep. Hence, cometh down, and the snow from heaven,  and return-


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 eth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it sincere offer of salvation, our churches utterly fail to
 bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, understand, yea, reject as preposterous and absurd.
 and bread to the eater : So shall My word be that goeth However, Holy Writ emphatically teaches the doctrine
 forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me of Predestination, and this includes Election and Repro-
 void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it bation.                                    H. Veldman.
 shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it." Notice,
 also in this passage, that the Divine purpose determines
 the result of the preaching of the gospel, that it always
 accomplishes that whereunto it is sent. Well-known is              Prof. B. Holwerda's Address
 the passage of the Word of God in John 12  :37-41  (see
 also Mark 4 :ll-12) : "But though He had done so many             The Liberated in the Netherlands a short while ago
 miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him:            commemorated the founding of their theological school.
 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be ful- There were several speakers. Their addresses have
 filled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our re- been published in De R.eformatie. One of the speakers
 port? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been re- was Prof. B. Holwerda. According to the professor,
 vealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that the Synodicals. have come to the Liberated with a pro-
 Esaias said again.  Re hath blinded their eyes, and posal for reunion on the basis of the Three Forms of
 hardened. their heart ; that they should not see with Unity but, in total disregard of the interpretations of
 their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be these Forms by both Liberated and Synodicals. The
 converted, and I should heal them. These things said professor's address is a severely critical reply to that
 Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him."              proposal. It is with the professor's address that I am
 And who is not acquainted with the truly terrible word occupied in this article from my pen. The reasons, will
 of  IGod in Matt. 11:25-27:  "At that time Jesus answer- become plain as I proceed.,
 ed and said, I thank Thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven               Let us hearken to the professor. He writes (quote) :
' and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the           "In our warfare for the church we have the promise
 wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. that angels now and by and by cooperate with us
 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. but we have that promise only so long as we hold fast
 *All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and the testimony of Christ, and continue to pJt it forth
 no man knoweth the Son, but the Father ; neither know- as absolute. The moment we set it forth as relative
 eth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom- according to the style of the false church we perhaps
 soever the Son will reveal Him." In this passage the achieve a colaboration with many people, but the
' Lord Jesus Christ actually thanks the Father because colaboration with angels ends."
 He has hid the things of salvation from the wise and              Remark. This statement es such is so true as to
 prudent. This action of the living God, hiding these deserve to be preached from the housetops, so to speak.
 things from the wise and prudent, must not be con- But, of course, it is with the professor's application of
 ceeived of as merely a negative action, the "not-reveal- this truth that we deal in his address. He applies it,
 ing" of these things unto them. This is indeed a posi- though not explicably, in so many words, to the
 tive action of- the Lord, whereby He blinds the hearts "promises-of-God-given-to-all-the-baptized" covenant-
 and minds of these ungodly, and that, mind you, ac- theology of the Liberated. The position he occupies as
 cording to the sovereign purpose and counsel of the the author of his address is that the aforesaid covenant-
 Lord, for, we read: "Even so, Father: for so it seemed theology is the very testimony of Christ, bodily taken
 good in Thy sight." Hence, also this passage teaches from the Scriptures and that therefore its logical con-
 the doctrine of sovereign Reprobation, God's eternal de- trary -that "promises-of-God-given-only-to-the-elect"
 cree with respect to those that perish. The Lord, there- covenant-theology of the Synodicals (and of the
 fore, not only saves His own, but He, with equal Protestant Reformed) is strictly anti-Scripture. The
 Divine sovereignty and deliberation, hardens the others whole address turns on these two contrary covenant-
 through the same preaching. We will have more to views. Apart from these theologies the professor's
 say about this in this series of articles, but it is well address is without meaning. This will become crystal
 to bear the truth in mind, that, through the same clear as we get more and more of the content of the
 preaching of the gospel, the Lord works efficaciously, address before us.
 irresistibly, not only in the hearts of the elect, but also       Fact is, then, that what the professor is telling us
 in the reprobate ungodly. To teach an offer of salva- in the above-cited paragraph from his pen is verily
 tion to all implies, therefore, that, while the Lord offers this : that in our (Liberated) warfare for the Church
 the gospel of salvation unto them, He at the same time we have the promise that angels co-operate with us so
 works in their hearts and makes it impossible-for them long as we (Liberated) hold fast our  "promises-of-
 to accept this offer. Bow this, on God's part, can be a *God-given-to-all-the-baptized" covenant-theology. That


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   R E A R E R                                       113

theology we must persist in putting forth as absolute, pretation of it legally binding. All they have, there-
that is (according to the professor) as the very testi- fore, in the way of Legally binding papers is the Three
mony of Christ. The moment we (Liberated)  make it Forms of Unity. And this, to Prof. Schilder's mind,
relative by putting it forth as human opinion, our is the glory of the Liberated churches. But why is it?
colaboration  with angels ends."                            Why should it be? I don't understand. Isn't the
   Here the professor gives us a detiite answer-and professor in common with the Liberated in general
an answer in the affirmative-to the question whether identifying that covenant-theology of theirs with the"
there is such a thing as a Liberated covenant-theology Scriptures? He is. Doesn't he, in common with the
-a theology identified by those who hold it with the Liberated in general, regard it as the only true inter-
very Word of God and set forth as the only true inter- pretation of the Confession? He does. Didn't he, as
pretation of the Confession. There is such a theology moved by conviction, choose to be deposed in his office
indeed. The professor tells us so. A statement occurs rather than subscribe the logical contrary of that
in the professor's address from which it appears that theology-the  covenant'theology  of the Synodicals ?
this theology is also binding in his communion.             He did. As we shall see, presently, Prof. Holwerda is
   But has not Dr. Schilder been telling us something of the conviction that "gone are his churches," and
quite different recently? We recall what he said, don't gone is the school, if the Liberated make relative (put
we? Here are his words, *"Now this time I am not forth as human opinion) what God has set forth (the
going to say a word about the theology of the Liberated covenant-theology of the Liberated) as absolute (as
of 1944." (the covenant-theology of the Liberated, the the testimony, as the Gospel, of Christ. These are His
professor means). "I (Dr. Schilder) know not that very words. What the professor says here is really
thing . . . . In fact in 1924 I gave an official lecture equivalent to saying that his churches are gone and his
per radio from Kampen, the Theological school (Hooge-       (theological) school doomed to extinction, should that
school), in which I argued the point that also the Liber- covenant-theology of the Synodicals ever replace the
ated (Secessionists) of 1834 had no theology (covenant- covenant-theology of the Liberated in the communion
theology, the professor should have said) of their own, of Liberated churches. Does Prof. Schilder share also
but simply wanted to return to the Canons of Dort. that conviction? He must. Why, then, should it be
That in found to be their honor. And I would not like the glory of the Liberated churches that all they have
to see that diploma of honor kept from the Liberated of as legally binding is the three Forms of Unity and.not
1944, who are no robbers of the liberty of others."         also their interpretation thereof, which is their cove-
   So, then, taking Dr. Schilder at his word, there is nant-theology? I don't understand. The reason can-
not such a thing as a Liberated covenant-theology,-         not be that it is wholly unnecessary for the Liber-
a theology identified by those who hold it with the ated to make their covenant-theology ZegaZZy binding in
Scriptures and set forth as the only true interpretation that this theology is being wholeheartedly accepted by
of the Confession, and binding on the members of the all that today calls itself Liberated even to the last
communion of Liberated churches. All that the Liber- officebearer and to the last laynian. (AAS we shall see,
ated have as binding is the Scriptures and the Con- it is plain from Prof. Holwerda's address that such is
fession uninterpreted.                                      by no means the case. Again, the reason can't be either
   How are these contrary statements-the one frolm -this, too, is plain from the address of Prof. Holwerda
Prof. Holwerda, the other from Dr. Schilder-to be -that the danger of infiltration of Synodicals into
harmonized? `That is simple. The doctor means not the ranks of the Liberated, threatening the very exist-
at all to be telling us that he and the Liberated, at       ence of their churches and school does not exist, so
least the majority of them, share not the convictions that it is safe to allow the door to remain wide open.
of Prof.' Holwerda; that, in other words, there is no But perhaps it is the stand of the leaders among the
such thing as a Liberated covenant-theology-a theol- Liberated that when it comes to covenant-theologyies,  *
ogy identified by all those who hold it with the very members of a communion of churches should be free to
Scriptures and set forth as the only true interpreta- believe as they choose. But why should there be such
tion of the Confession, the Three Form of Unity. I freedom with respect to covenant-theologies but not
see now that what the doctor is telling us in the above-    when it comes, let us say, to Christologies? These
cited paragraphs is simply this : that the covenant- leaders may say that it is still much too early to make
theology of the Liberated is not legally-mark you, legally binding any covenant-theology in that as yet
legal&-binding, meaning thereby that as yet the there is no concensus of conviction regarding such
Liberated churches  L have not by  synodical  decision things. Views have not yet crystallized. Much more
officially adopted it. The doctor does not know that time is `needed, perhaps decades or even centuries, for
"thing", that Liberated covenant-theology as Legally        earnest study and searching of the Scriptures. But
b&cZ&zg.  The Liberated of 1944 returned to the Three if that is true, if it is true for the Liberated, why did
Forms of Unity but refrained from making their  inter-      they part company with the Synodicals and bring them-


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 selves into existence as a separate communion of science, that is, a binding that is rooted in the con-
 churches.? In taking that action, in allowing them- viction that the theology' in question is the testimony
 selves to be deposed in their office rather than sub- of Christ. Such is the prevailing conviction at present
 scribe the covenant-theology that is contrary to theirs, among the Liberated. However, now more than ever,
 they were moved by conviction, weren't they? the con- says the professor, it is a question whether this convic-
 viction that the covenant-theology of the Liberated is, tion will persist in his communion, whether, in a word,
 "in the language of Prof. Holwerda, the testimony of the Liberated covenant-theology will continue ethically
 Christ. And, verily, all their dissertations on the mat- to bind the Liberated. Herewith I have fully suc-
 ters at issue-as many of them as I have read-glow ceeded, I believe, in harmonizing the  statement  of
 with that conviction. And the matter, at its root, is Prof. Holwerda and that of Dr. Schilder respecting the
 really simple. Basically it is a question whether the status of the Liberated covenant-theology in the com-
 promises of God are given to the baptized elect and munion of Liberated churches.
 non-elect alike, or to the elect baptized members only.       That theology  is  ethically  binding in the communion
 Certainly, it should not require centuries or even of the Liberated and binding in this respect only: it is
 decades to determine which of these two theologies not legally binding. What it means that the Liberated
 has the sanction of the Scriptures. Unless we belong covenant-theology is ethically binding in the professor's
 to that class of people of which the apostle speaks when communion of churches has just been explained. It
 he says, "ever learning and never coming to the know- means that it is binding on the consciences, and, of
 ledge of the truth." Still another question is this:       course, binding on `the consciences only of as many
 how to the minds of the Liberated can their covenant-      among the Liberated who share the professor's con-
 theology not be legally binding, if, according to their viction-the conviction that the covenant-theology of
 conviction, it is the interpretation of the legally bind- the Liberated is the testimony of Christ. How large
 ing Confession; and, what is more, if officially they is this element? The professor does not say. Zt is safe
 have rejected the logical contrary of their theology. to conclude that he does not know. But he does know
 And. so it still is a conundrum to me how it can and       that there are many in his communion who, if they
 why it should be the honor of the Liberated churches be taken at their word, do not share his convictions.
 that they refrain from taking the stand that their cove- Here is his statement, "To my mind the struggle at
 nant-theology is legally binding or that they refuse to this moment is much more  difficult than in 1944. Then
 make it legally binding, if they think it not to be legally both sides, (Liberated and Synodicals) took an absolute
 binding already.                                           stand. (Want toen  was er over en weer althans nog
        These are questions that I simply ask in passing. een absolute positiekeus ;) but today many are coming
 What I am trying to do is to harmonize the  above-         under" what the professor calls "probleemstelling".
 cited conflicting statements-the one from the pen of What the professor means is that instead of resolutely
 professor Holwerda and the other from the pen of Dr. and with spirit and conviction putting forth the cove-
 Schilder. And I believe I have succeeded therein, yet nant-theology of the Liberated as the Testimony of
 not quite. There is a statement occurring in the ad- Christ, these people in their skepticism of the right-
 dress of Prof. Holwerda that still puzzles me somewhat. ness of this theology set it forth as a problem calling
 It is this, "For now more than ever it is a question of for solution and, of course, raising many deep and un-
 whether keeping the testimony of Christ (keeping the answerable questions. And what these. skeptics aim
 Liberated covenant-theology) will continue to be bind- at, so wee learn from the discourse of the professor, is
 : ing absolutely (in the communion of the Liberated the reuniting of Liberated and Synodicals on the basis
 churches)  ." The professor here postulates as a ques- of the Three Forms of Unity. These skeptics do un-
 tion whether the Liberated covenant-theology will con- told harm. In the language of the professor, they rock
- tinue binding on the Liberated. What does he mean the foundation of the church along the whole line.
  by "binding"? He can't very well mean that this              But there are still other statements from the pro-
  covenant-theology at present  is J&ally binding; that at fessor's pen indicative of the presence of skeptics in
  some time in the past the Liberated churches by synod-    his communion and also in the communion of the
  ical. decision officially adopted that theology. The pro- ,Synodicals. I quote, "I shall not say anything good of
  fessor can't mean that. And for two reasons. 1) No the content of the doctrine (of the  Synodical)  ever,
  such action  has been taken by the Liberated churches. and never shall I sanction the disciplinary measures
  2) Such a statement from the professor's pen would then agreed upon (by the Synodicals) . But in all the
  militate against what Dr. Schilder is telling us, namely, annoyance that we (Liberated) had to endure, there
  that the covenant-theology of the Liberated is not was at least one bright spot: we knew what we had to
  legally binding.                                          strive against (against the covenant-theology of the
        So the kind of binding that the professor is talk- Synodicals) . On both sides (on the side of the Liber-
  ing about is ethical binding, a binding of `the con- ated and on the side of the Synodicals) the matter


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          1 1 5

(the covenant-theology peculiar to each) was put forth of those Forms. The professor is sorely provoked  with
as absolute. (That is, as was just said, the Synodicals the Synodicals. He has several things against them.
insisted that their covenant-theology alone had the Says the professor, "Formerly they (the Synodicals)
sanction of the Scriptures. And the Liberated did like- put forth their doctrinal deliverances (their  promises-
wise with respect to their covenant-theology). On both of-God-given-only-to-the-elect covenant-theology) as
sides it was said (that is, the Liberated as well as the valid with the authority of God's Word ; they said :
Synodicals said) that the point at issue was the keep- the churches (Synodical churches) could and might
ing of the Gospel of Christ (the keeping by both Liber- not do differently; they dealt not simply with a relative
ated and Synodicals of the covenant-theology peculiar human opinion, the absolute truth of IGod was at stake.
to each) not to be played with in the church." But, And although it pained their hearts, they might of
alas, such is no longer the case, the professor means God do not different. For the sake of God's will they
to say, either in the communion of the Liberated had to maintain that doctrine also with the key-power
churches or in the communion of the Synodical church- given by Christ to His church. That was held before
es. (The parenthesis in the above quotation are from us in all kinds of variations: the Synod spake with the
my pen, G.M.O.)                                               authority of Christ.    It maintained the truth over
   There is now this question: What is the professor against the lie. And when opposition to that .truth
doing about those skeptics in his communion? Let us revealed itself, it .said: yonder they (the Liberated)
first raise and give answer to this question: what add a second sin to the first: they rebel not merely
should the professor be doing about them? about those against the truth, but also `against the authority of
skeptics ?                                                    Christ."
   It being his conviction that the covenant-theology            The professor asks, "Wherein lies the seriousness
of the Liberated is the testimony of Christ, and seeing, of the situation? Herein,. that it appears, that some
too, that he is just as convinced that the Liberated do recognize the false church in the moment that she
churches are the true church, so that, should those declares war, but do not recognize her in her characler
skeptics get their way, the true church, as to its institu- when she comes with overtures of peace.
tional life, would disappear from the face of the earth,         "As I see it the struggle now is more difficult, but
and with it the school of that church, the professor, also more necessary than a few years ago. For then
certainly, should take action against those destroyers they came from yonder side with a wrong doctrine
of the Lord's vineyard. First; he should overture and a wrong discipline, but in it all there was an aware-
Synod to declare that, in contradistinction to the cove- ness that the church speaks and acts with absoluteness
nant-theology of the Synodicals, which is also the . . . . And therefore our opposition to it all was also
covenant-theology of the Protestant Reformed, the absolute. But since `46. the sly devaluation of all ec-
covenant-theology of the Liberated is the true doctrine clesiastical papers (written credal forms) began. ,And
of the Scriptures and the only right interpretation of they kept the direction of the course of these papers
the Three Forms of Unity. Second, if the decision of floating in the air. Instead of our being frightened by
Synod were favorable to the professor's cause, which this doing even more, some allow' themselves to be
he believers to be the cause of God, so that his covenant-    captivated thereby. Yonder they let go of the absolute
theology became legally binding in his communion, he "kerkstijl". (By `"kerkstijl" the professor means the
should protest against the skeptics on their consistories true deportment, behaviour, way of action, of the
and if need be make a case against them on the Classis        church militant faithful to her calling) ; and that evil      *
and on the Synod. But for some  inscrutible  reason is beginning to infect us also.
that no man can fathom, Dr. Schilder does not want               "For you know the history as well as I. The clear
action of the kind just described. For according to the `prophecy' of 1942 they have veiled in the mists of
doctor the glory of the Liberated, of the. true church, substitution-forms. And yonder no one anymore thinks
is that its members do not bind one another legally.          of maintaining this doctrine also with the weapons of
Indeed, but in the meantime his churches--the true discipline. At present the church-doctrine is being
church-disappears from the face of the earth just openly attacked, but no one is prepared to name the
because its members won't bind one another legally.           heavy term `schism' or to maintain i" is bulls of deposi-
   I just said that the professor (Holwerda), despite tion. Yonder (among the Synodicals) they  gradua!ly
his convictions, takes no action (as that just described) . are not any longer prepared to maintain with  the
But he does do something. He sits down and cries about authority of Christ what they set forth as His testi-
the situation. He does more than that. Between his mony.
sobs he directs volleys of criticisms against the  Synod-        "Is that progress as compared with 1944? It is only
icals for tempting the Liberated with their proposal retrogression.            They do not retract a single paper
for reunion on the basis of the Three Forms of Unity          (written credal Form), but no one takes the official
only, that is, in total disregard of their interpretation, papers serious any more. . , . This is the worst that


116                                     T H E   STANDAiD   B E A R E R

can overcome a church. That is a complete loss of promise. It means that they want  these,theologies  as
the "kerkstijl"; that they no longer dare to maintain, walls of separation between Liberated and Synodicals
what they hold to be the testimony of Christ." So far levelled  to the ground. And that is to be accomplished
the professor.                                                  by compromise, and all in the interest of reunion.
i;- It is a sad picture that the professor here hangs But that, too, of course, is wickedness.
before us. According to the story of this picture, the            But that precisely is what the Liberated also want,
Synodicals  ,have ceased to maintain the doctrine of isn't it? Their watchword is :  we-do-not-bind-one-
their "Points",-the teaching that the promises of God another, isn't it? Well, then, should they not be wel-
are given only to the- elect-with the weapons of dis- coming those overtures of peace, and heartily indorse
cipline. And they now come to the Liberated with those proposals for reunion coming to them from the
proposals for reunion on the basis of the Three Forms Synodicals,`and  in cooperation with the Synodicals ef-
of Unity in total disregard of the interpretation of fect such a reunion with all speed? I They should in-
these Forms by both Synodicals and Liberated. But deed. Their failure to do so, their attacks upon the
shortly before these proposals were made, the  Synod-           Synodicals for comming to them with such overtures
icals appointed Dr. Polman to the chair of systematic and proposals and their readiness nevertheless to unite
theology in the original Kampen school-a chair form- with us, who, too, have that promises-of-God-given-
erly occupied by Dr. Schilder. It makes the impression only-to-the-elect covenant-theology, is at present their
that in framing those "Points", and in making them great inconsistency.
legally binding on the churches, the Synodicals aimed              But they can free themselves of that inconsistency.
solely at freeing the school of Dr. Schilder. If that is How? By making EegaZZy  binding their own covenant-
true, it is terrible.' It bespeaks a political intrigue in theology and then by taking action against the skeptics
the church, of the .worst  brand, the playing of hocus in their own ranks with the weapons of official disci-
pocus with the truth to get rid of a man. And that  is. pline; thus by renouncing that ideal of  we-do-not-
sheer wickedness.                                               legally-bind-one-another, and, as renouncing that ideal,
       But our Liberated brethren should understand that, by fighting the good fight of faith first, and by  all
moraly, they are totally disqualifying themselves as means first, in their own communion ; that is, by fight-
admonishers of their brethren, the Synodicals, doing ing for what they hold to be the testimony of Christ-
so by their refusal to understand that their own cove- their own covenant-theology; by fighting for this testi-
nant-theology is legally binding in their communion or mony in their own communion also as armed with
by their refusal to make this theology binding if they the weapons of official  ~discipline. For how can they sit
think it not binding already. For, by this omission on still with members in their own communion denying
their part they not only deny - officially deny - what and attacking the Testimony of Christ? If they do sit
they hold to be the testimony of Christ  - their own cove- still with that Testimony denied and ,attacked,  they,
nant-theology  -  .but they make it impossible for them- themselves, are guilty of denying it. But let them
selves to exclude by the weapons of discipline the skep- fight for that Testimony-the Testimony of Christ,
tics from their ranks. It means that they stand by and their own Liberated covenant-theology. Doing so, walk-
look on while the true church disappears from the face ing worthily of their. calling as they conceive of  .it,
of the earth and all because they will to imagine that their covenant-theology soon, very soon, will be legally
the glory of a church is that its members do not bind binding in their communion, if it is not legally binding
one another legally.                                            already.
       Isn't it true that, such being their imagining, Prof.       And let them not say that their covenant-theology-
Holwerda, he to be consistent, should be pouring words that testimony of Christ-is not of  sufllcient  impor
of praise on the Synodicals instead of words of re- ante that it should be necessitating such a fight. For
proof 2 For the Synodicals are living up to his denial, to their minds it is the very Testimony of Christ on
aren't they? the ideal of we-do-not-legally-bind-on+ account of which they allowed themselves to be, deposed
another. Verily, the Synodicals are living up to that in, their office. So let them fight that fight in order
Ideal,  if the report of the professor is true. They  have that they may no longer be guilty of"the very things
allowed their interpretation of the Confession-that that they denounce in their brethren.
promises-of-God-given-only-to-the-elect covenant theol-            I want to enlarge on these matters in a following
ogy of theirs-a theology that by  synodical  decision article. There are lessons of essential importance in
they officially adopted-to become a dead letter in their all this for us Protestant Reformed. I have need of
communion solely in the interest of reunion on the pointing out these lessons. Besides, Prof.  Holwerda
basis of the Three Forms of Unity minus that covenant- says things in his address that bear repeating because
theology and also minus the covenant-theology of the as such .they are so true. And therefore I have need
Liberated. Respecting these theologies they, the Synod- of repeating those things for our own benefit.
icals, according to the professor, are willing to corn--                                             ' G. M. Ophoff.

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

         A Psychopathic Hospital                            our Reformed; Christian Reformed, Protestant Re-
                                                            formed, and Netherlands Reformed Churches. We ex-
  for Mentglly Defective Children                           pect to  niail this material in the early part of Decem-
                                                            ber.
   Through a brother minister I received the following         The editors of the Church Herald, The Banner,
letter, with the kind request to publish same in our and The Wachter have consented by means of the
Standard Bearer. You will note that there is also a papers to inform our constituency about this project.
,request attached to it for an editorial, containing, no For this reason we also request, that an editorial be
doubt, an endorsement of some kind of this proposed written in your church papers about the latter part
plan.                                                       of November or the first week in December. If this
   I would say that such an editorial is entireIy  un- can be done, your people also will be acquainted with
necessary.                                                  what is coming.
   It is my conviction that if our brethren and sisters        That there is need for such a building is evident
in the Lord read the information in the following let- by the fact that from a limited  `Grand Rapids area
ter, they will with one accord subscribe to this pro- alone, twenty-seven cases were presented to the Board,
posed plan. Imagine: there is no place.at  present for and because we have received your devoted assistance
mentally defective children where they may be cared in all our work in the years past, we are happy that we
for, even as our grown-ups are during all these years can look for your cooperation in this matter at this
that are past.. If we would have such a child of our time.
own, all we could do is to keep it with us, and that is,       Thanking you in advance for this courtesy, I am
of course, the proper way. But there may be and there in name of the Board,
often are such conditions that it is not proper and ex-                                 Yours sincerely,
pedient to keep such children at home, and how wonder-
ful then if we could send them to a  Christian Psycho-                                            S. AVan Harn
pathic Hospital for Children, where Christian doctors                                             Ass%. Sec'y. Treas.
and nurses take care of them for us. A beautiful P.S. If the information 1 have given here is not suf-
gesture in Christ, I would call it.                         ficient for your purpose, kindly feel free to call, and we
   Do read the following letter, dear readers, and put will supply all the information at our disposal.
yourselves behind this plan when the opportunity is                                                                `,G. Vos. .
given to you.
   The Lord Jesus will never forget what you have                                        *  *  *  *
done for His little lambs who were born with, or who
later received, a mentally defective mind. God be                                     ANNIVERSARY
very .kind to them !                                                On December 3, 1949, our beloved parents
   Here is the letter:                                                           Mr. and Mrs. ,Hen.ry Visser
              TO THE CHRISTIAN READER:                      hope to commemorate their  25th wedding anniversary.  We
                                                            extend to them our  most  hearty and sincere congratulations.
   In the city of Chicago and also in Grand Rapids,
movements are under way to `erect facilities to care                We thank God that He has spared them for each other and
for the mentally defective children. Both of these for  us and pray that we  m?y have many more years together.
groups have conferred with our Board of Trustees                                      Their grateful children :
about what can and should be done about this.problem.                                          Mr. and Mrs.  Isaac Visser
The Board of the  C. P. H. came to the conclusion that                                         HenrY
if a children's building is erected, it should be done                                         Albert
right in, Cutlerville.                                                                         Eertha
                                                              `.  *
   Reasons for this decision were that the number of                                           Cornelius
facilities which are necessary to adequately care for                                          Peter
such children are already in existence in our plant.                                           Herman
Hence, this would reduce the cost by a considerable                                            Hermina
amount.                                                                                        Arie
   The Board has set machinery into motion to contact                                          Jeanette
all our people of the Reformed Denominations to make                                           M=Y
it possible to erect such a building. This is going to                                         Leslie
be done by means of a letter that will be mailed to all Manhattan, Montana


