                                     T H E   S+ANDARD   B E A R E R                                                   173

aldus formuleerde: Laat ons bedenken dat "in de ge-                   Na hartelijken broedergroet verblijf ik gaarne de
heele leer van den godsdienst, &n regel van bescheiden-        Uwe in  onzen  Heere Jezus Christus..
heid en matigheid moet in acht genomen worden,  name-                                                     C. Veenhof.
lijk deze, dat wij over duistere zaken niets anders
moeten spreken, of gevoelen, of ook begeeren te weten,
dat wat in Gods Woord ons meegedeeld is. In de tweede
plaats, dat wij bij het lezen der  Schrift  ons  voort-
durend bezig  houden met het zoeken en overdenken
van die dingen,  die tot opbouwing,dienen  en diet toe-          I        Translation and Comment
geven  aan nieuwsgierigheid of het najagen van onnutte.
dingen.  En omdat de Heere ons heeft  willen onder-                   "I cannot refrain in this article from pointing for
wijzen niet in onbeduidende kwesties, maar in waar-            a moment. to Calvin. There surely is no one who con-
achtige vroomheid, in de vreeze zijns naams, in  waar- fessed and taught the doctrine of election and reproba-
vertrouwen, en in de plichten der heiligheid, zoo laat tion-that decretum horribile-so  powerfully and con-
ons in die kennis berusten". (Inst. 1, 14, 4).                 sistently as he.
                                                                      "Yet in spite of this-but no, I don't express myself
                       * *  *  *                               correctly again, I must say: exactly because of that-
                                                               Calvin also wrote down words as these:
   En  nu moet ik noodig ophouden ! Ik ben reeds veel                 "the gracious adoption unto sonship extends unto
te breed geweest! Het is niet mijn bedoeling over all the children of Abraham ; all Israelites were of the
wat ik gezegd heb een  pole&k uit te lokken. Ik zou household of the church ; children of God and heirs of
zelfs dringend  willen vragen  g&n discussie over dit eternal life (Commentary on Gen. 17  :14)  f
stuk te beginnen.                                                     "hence God has chosen the entire seed of Jacob with-
   Mijn bedoeling is een andere. Door Gods  voor- out exception, as the Scripture witnesses in many pas-
zienigheid is het leven van Uwe en onze kerken zoo sages, because He vouchsafed unto them equally (par-
geleid, dat er allerlei contact en groeiend  begrip en iter) the same proofs of his grace, namely, the word
waardeering voor elkaars leven en strijd is ontstaan. and the sacraments (Commentary on Gen. 25 :23) ;
We staan nu, al is het niet officieel, tech met elkaar                "that the promise to Abraham and his seed was not
in een zekere gemeenschap. En nu dreigt het zeer given in such a manner that the inheritance is destined
groote gevaar, dat we van elkaar vervreemden. Dat is, for every arbitrary seed, whence it follows, that the
nu God U en ons op elkaars weg plaatste, een zeer apostacy  of some cannot in the least prevent that the
ernstig ding.  1 Ik zie hierin zeer duidelijk Satan  bezig.    covenant remains established and continuous  ( Com-
Hij doet altijd zijn best de schapen van Christus' kudde mentary on Rom. 9 :6) ;
tegen elkaar op te hitsen  en van elkaar te vervreemden !             "that at first Israel (that must be Ishmael, H.H.)
Laten wij nu op onze hoede zijn. Laten we nu bidden had obtained the. same rank with his brother Isaac,
om de geesten te mogen beproeven en te kunnen be-              because the spiritual covenant was equally sealed in
proeven. En laten we vasthouden, dat allen  die werke;         him by the symbol" of circumcision (Institutes, III,
lijk en zakehjk  uit Gods guns&e  woord Ieven,  het voor-
dit en het toekomend leven uitsluitend  en alleen  van 21, 6) ;
Gods genade in  Christus verwachten, en dagelijks den                 "that this is the integrity of the sacrament, an
strijd tegen Satan, were& en eigen xonde voeren,  bij- integrity which the whole world cannot violate, that
hooren, omdat zij  Qen zijn.                                   the flesh and blood of Christ are not less truly given
                                                               to the unworthy than to the elect believers of God ;
   Ik hoop nu, dat U en de Uwen, wat ik schreef and yet. it is' true that just as the rain falling on the
broederlijk.  zullen overwegen, met de bedoeling ons hard rock runs away because it cannot penetrate, so
leven en onzen strijd te leeren  verstaan. Als iemand the wicked by their hardness repel the grace of God,
onder ons zou  willen beweren, dat de theologische  be- and prevent it from reaching them (Institutes, IV,
schouwingen omtrent bet verbond, zooals Prof. Schilder 17,33) ;
die ontwikkeld heeft,  bindend  zijn in  onzen  kring, dan
zou dat door allen  en iedereen, door Prof. Sehilder  in        " "And all this Calvin says not in spite  of the fact
de allereerste plaats, radicaal  worden afgewezen. Net that he confesses so strictly and so consistently God's
zoo radicaal  als we de leeruitspraken van 1942-1946 election and reprobation, the sovereignty and the  un-
en de under U zoo beruchte "drie punten" afwijzen  ! conquerableness of the grace of God and the absolute
Maar leven uit het gansche Woord Gods,  naar de  con- impotency of man, but on the contrary, he says this
fessie, dat zoeken we allen,  daar bidden we om, daar because he confesses this, and because he confesses
worstelen we naar !                                            that God's sovereignty and the absoluteness of the

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

         grace of God must also be acknowledged in  the way in doctrinal decisions of 1942-1946 and `the three points'
         which God saves His own!                                    that are. so notorious among you. But we live out of
                "And speaking thus,' Calvin practices what he once the entire Word of God, according to the confession.
         upon a time formulated himself in the following words :     That we all seek, for that we pray, and after that we
         `Let us be mindful of the fact that in the entire doc- strive.
         trine of religion, one rule of modesty and moderation          "With hearty and fraternal greetings I remain
         must be observed, namely this, that about dark things yours in our Lord Jesus Christ.
         we must say nothing or feel nothing, or desire to know                                               C. Veenhof ."
         nothing, than that which is revealed to us in the Word
         of God. In the second place, that by the reading of         Comment:
         Scripture we occupy ourselves constantly with the
         search and centemplation  of those things `that serve          In my comment on this last part of Prof. Veenhof's
         for edification and do not yield ,fo curiosity or to the    letters I will try to be brief. First of all, I want to
         striving after unprofitable things. And because the make a remark or two on the very last .paragraphs.
         Lord wanted to instruct us not in insignificant ques- , You do not have to be afraid, esteemed brother,
         tions, but in true piety, in the fear of His name, in that I will not consider your writing in a brotherly
         true confidence, and in the obligations of holiness, let spirit. You know that in our personal correspondence
         us rest in that knowledge.' (Inst. I, 14, 4).               with each other I have learned to know you as a brother
                                                                     in Christ. And I hope and believe that this feeling is
                                 *  * * *                            *mutual. But, of course, true brotherly love is always
                                                                     based on the truth in Christ. And to reach ,an under-
                                                                     standing of that truth there is nothing  more.beneficial
                "And now I must quit. Already I have been much than a brotherly discussion, a controversy, if you wish.
         too elaborate. It is not my purpose to invite a contro- Of this I have never been afraid. And therefore I
         versy about what I have' said. I would  ,even urgently could not accede to your request not to start a contro-
         request not to start a discussion about this article.       versy about what you write in your article. And it
         .      "My purpose is a different one. Through the provi- is my sincere hope that you will continue this discus-
         dence of God the life of your and our churches has sion, and, answer my questions.
         been so guided that the result was various contact and         Tp my mind there is no reason why we should
         a growing understanding and appreciation for one an- become alienated from one another, at least not in the
         other's life and struggle. Even now we already stand way of truth. If anything~ causes separation between
         in a certain communion withy one another, even though your and our churches, it certainly cannot be that we
         it is not officially. And now threatens the very grave all, as you express it, "live really and actually out of
         danger that we become alienated from one another. the entire Word of God and expect all things for this
         And that is a very serious thing, now God placed you life and for the life to come `exclusively and only from
         and us upon one another's way. In this 1 see very the grace of God in Christ, and daily wage war against
         clearly the work of Satan. He always does his best to Satan, the world, and our own sin." Rather do I attri-
         provoke the sheep of Christ's flock against one another bute the dissension.that  has arisen between us to other
         and to alienate them from one another. Now let us be causes, such as: 1) The h&sty and, somewhat unwise
         on our guard. Let us pray that we may and will be decisions of your Synod of Amersfoort that provoked
         able to try the Spirits. And let us maintain that all a protest of several of the delegates at your Synod.
         those who really -and actually live out of the whole        it was not wise to advise to open your pulpits to our
         word, who expect all things for this and for the life       ministers without further discussion and delibera-
         to come exclusively and only from the grace of God in tion and investigation. Correspondence between our
         Christ, and who daily wage war against Satan, the churches (and I see no reason why that could not be
         warld,  and their own sin, belong together because they established) should be carefully prepared. And I pro-
         are one.                                                    pose that we should start from the beginning. 2) The
                "I now hope that you and yours will consider what meetings your committee of correspondence and others
         I wrote in a brotherly spirit, with thepurpose  to.learn    had with the Revs. De Jong and Kok while they were
         to understand our life and struggle. If anyone among in the Netherlands, and the transactions of which were
         us would allege that the theological conceptions con- kept secret.+- It would have- been  far better and much.
         cerning the covenant, as Prof. Schilder developed them, more beneficial:  if, your committee of correspondence
         are binding in our circle, then this would be repudiated had contacTed.  our. comniittee.. Such contact can very
         radically by all. and every one, first of all by Prof.      easily be established  *md still.  .should. be established.
         Schilder himself. dust as radically as we repudiate the     3) The letter of Prof. Holwerda which he wrote as an


                                     T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 175

 &vice to the &migrants in Canada, and the contents           cause the meat and drink to lose their nature? . . . .
 of which were published by them, not by us. I now Thus nothing is detracted from &he sacrament, nay, its
 have reason to believe that Prof. Holwerda misrepre- reality and efficacy remain unimpaired, although the
 sented in that letter what the Revs. De Jong and Kok wicked, after externally partaking of it, go  away emp-
 actually said. In other words, he did not write the ty. If, again, they object, that it derogates from the
 .exact truth in that letter. I will not write down my expression, `This is my body', if the wicked receive
 reasons for this opinion, but if you should desire them, corruptible bread and, nothing besides, it is easy to
 I am prepared to give you them in the Standard  Bearer. answer, that God wills not that His truth should be
 Nevertheless, that letter dumbfounded us and was the recognized in the mere reception, but in Zhe constancy
 cause of much trouble.  4) And aggravating it all is of his goodness, while he is prepared to perform, nay,
 the unethical publicatiori of the slanderous letter of the liberally offers to the unworthy what they reject. The
 `*Familie Klaver", referred to even by the Rev. Van integrity of the sacrament, an integrity which the
 Raalte in the Kezkblad  voor Overijssel en Getderhnd.        whole world cannot violate, lies here, that the flesh
     We must make a clean slate, and go back to the and blood of Christ are not less truly given to the un-
 beginning as soon as possible, and get into personal worthy than to, the elect believers of God ; and yet it is
 contact. Your committee of correspondence and ours true, that just as the rain falling on ,+he hard rock runs
 should personally and thoroughly discuss the question away because it cannot penetrate, so the wicked by
 of correspondence between our churches.                      their hardness repel the grace of God, and prevent it
     As to the question of what covenant conception is from reaching them." To me the sacraments, as well
 binding in your churches, I confess that I do not under- as the preaching of ,the Word of <God,  have effect upon
 stand you. You believe, of course, that Scripture and all that come under their influence. Neither the Word
 the  confessons are binding. But do you not believe nor the sacraments can be explained as an offer of
 that the conception of the Liberated that the promise grace to all, but they have a two-fold effect. To the
 of God is for all is Scriptural and confessional? If so, one they are a savour of life unto life. To  the. other
 then that conception must be binding. On the other they are a savour of death unto death. This is the
hand, we believe that the First Point of 1924 and the plain truth of Scripture and also of the Reformed
 Heynsian conception of the covenant are neither Scrip- confessions. And, as to Calvin's exegetical work, it is
 tural nor confessional. Hence, the denial bf these is true that his commentaries are still valualjle. But it
 certainly binding for our churches.                          must also be said that his exegesis is often character-
     In conclusion, let me make a remark or two  .about       ized by haste, as might indeed be expected of a man
the quotations from Calvin to which you refer in  your who was as busy as Calvin and who wrote a commen-
) article.                                                    tary on practically the whole of Scripture.
     Let me say, first of all, that I am at present not          But now I must close for the p,resent. And I do so
in a position to check up on all of them. I am at the with hearty and brotherly greetings.
present time 750 miles from home and cannot lay hold                                                            H. H.
on all the sources.
     I did check up, however, on the quotations from
Rom.  9:6 and from the  Institutes.  Let me say in
general that I have indeed a great respect  for Calvin
and his work.                                                                        *    *  *  *
                 To me it is nothing short of amazing
that as a young man he could write his Institutes, and
that, too, as a young man that just recently came out
of the Roman Catholic Church., Amazing, too, I find
that he could  write.almost  a complete commentary on
the whole of Scripture. But that does not mean that                                TN MEMORIAM
we can blindly quote from him as an authority. Often            The English Men's Scciety of the First Protestant Reformed
I simply cannot agree with much that he wrote. This Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, hereby expresses its sym-
is true, for instance, with, Calvin's conception of the       pathy  w?th a fellow member, James Kok, in the loss of his
Lord's Supper. Thus, for instance, when he writes, brother,
"That the power of the sacrament remains entire how-                                Dr. Harry Kok
ever the wicked may labor with all their might to anni-
hilate it. Still, it is one thing to be offered, another        May the Lord of all grace comfort the relatives with His
to be received. Christ gives this spiritual food and all  sufficient grace.
holds forth this spiritual drink to all. Some eat eagerly,                                 Mr. A. Van Tuinen,  Pres.
others superciliously reject it. Will their rejection                                      Mr. 0. Vander Woude,  Sec'y.

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

                                                               of the putting off of the old man of sin. `And the same
   T H E   TRIFLE   K & L E D G E is true of the sacrament of baptism. And to quote
                --- "..                           --I___ no more, in Rom. 4 :11 we read : "And he received the
                                                               sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the
An Exposition Of The Heidelberg faith, which he had yet being  uncircumcized."  Here
                                                               circumcision is presented as sealing the righteousness.
                           Catechism                           which is by faith, that is: God seals in the sign of
                           PART TWO                            circumcision that He justifies the believers by faith
                                                               and counts their faith for righteousness.
              O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n               Let us compare with the above passages those that
                   LORD'S DAY XXVII.                           speak of the significance of holy baptism.
                                                                  In Acts 2 :38 we read : "Then Peter said unto them,
                                  4.                           Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name
              Infant Baptism and Its Ground.                   of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
                                                               receive the gift of the Holy Ghost". Baptism, there-
                             B     .                           fore, is a signof the remission of sins, or, if you please,
                      One Sign. (cont.)                        of the righteousness which is by faith. The same is
                                                               taught in Acts 22 :16 : "And' now, why tarriest thou?
       First of all, I want to call attention to those pas-    arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling
sages that refer to the sign of circumcision only. Of on the name of the Lord." And again, in Rom.  6:4
this we read in Lev. 26:40,  41: "If they shall confess we read: "Therefore, we are buried with him by bap-
their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with tism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from
their trespass which they have trespassed against me,' the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
and that I also have walked contrary unto them and             should walk in newness of life." Baptism, like circum-
have brought them into the land of their enemies ; if dision, is the sign of renewal, that is, of the renewal
then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they in Christ. In Baptism we die with Christ, and we rise
then accept of the punishment of their iniquity." It is with Him in newness of life and walk. And the same
evident here that an uncircumsized heart is the same is expressed in Gal. 3 :2'7 : "For as many of you as have
as a heart that will not confess sin and iniquity. To been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Bap-
be uncircumsized in heart is to be unconverted, to be tism is'the  sign of putting on Christ, that is, of being
ungodly. By implication this means that a circum- renewed in Him. These passages may easily be multi-
cized heart is a regenerated and converted heart, from plied. But there is, of course, no difference of opinion
which there arises sorrow over sin and confession of with respect to the significance of baptism. The above  '
iniquity. Of such a heart, therefore, circumcision was texts, therefore, may suffice.
a sign. In this respect, as is very plain, circumcision           But finally, there are also passages in Scripture that
has the same significance as holy baptism. In Deut.            simply identify the two, circumcision and baptism.
lo:16 we read: "Circumcize, therefore, the foreskin of            Thus we read in Col. 2 :ll, 12 : "In whom also ye
your heart and be no more stiff-necked." This is very are circumcised with the circumcision made without
plain language. Circumcision was a sign of a circum- bands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh
cized, that is, of a sanctified heart. And again it is by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in
plain that circumcision and baptism have the same baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through
significance. In Deut.  30:6  we read: "And the Lord the faith of the operation oft God;who hath raised him
thy God will circumcize thine heart and the heart of from  ,the dead." Here the apostle plainly identifies the
thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,        signs of baptism and circumcision with respect to their
and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." Again significance. He writes to the church of the new dis-
this is plain in itself. Circumcision was a sign of the pensation that believers are  circumcized  in the spiritual
work of God's grace in the heart, whereby the heart is sense of the word, and that this spiritual circumcision
filled with the love of God. It is therefore a sign of took place when they were buried with Christ in bap-
the same grace that is obsignated in baptism. Again,           tism. A more direct proof that circumcision and bap-
in Jer.  4:4 we read: "Circumcize yourselves to the            tism are essentially the same in meaning, the change of
Lord and take away the foreskin of your heart, ye form being due to the transition from the old into the
men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem." In the new dispensation, that is, from the dispensation of the
language of the New Testament this is the same as              shadows into that of the fulfillment, could not be given.
say&z, "Put off the oId man of sin and put on the new Again, in Phil. `3 :3 we read : "For we are the circum-
man, which is renewed after the image of God in true cision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in
righteousness and holiness." Circumcision was a sign Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          177

      Here the apostle does not mention baptism, neither covenant in the line of continued generations. It is the
      does he refer to it. But nevertheless he maintains that will of God, plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures,
     not the Jews, but the church of the new dispensation that the seed of IPrbraham, which is the same through:
      in Christ Jesus are the circumcision.         Essentially,    out the ages, shall receive the sign of the righteousness
      therefore, circumcision has not been discarded, but is which is by faith in their generations.
      continued in the church of the new dispensation.                 It is the very plain truth revealed in Scripture and
         Those who deny that infant baptism is a Biblical verified in all the history of the church of God in the
      doctrine often attempt to dispute the statement that world from the very beginning that God causes His
      also occurs in our Baptism Form, namely, that circum- people to develop in the line of generations. Always
      cision has been replaced by baptism in the new dispen- He establishes His covenant organically, in the line of
      sation. Baptism has come in the place of circumcision, continued generations. This is already evident from
      thus the Form for the Administration of Baptism that the protevangel in Gen. 3 :15: "I will put enmity be-
      is used in the Reformed churches reads. Of this the tween thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
      Baptist refuses to be convinced. Yet nothing could her seed ; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
      be more evident from the Scriptures. It is simply an his, heel." This is clear from the establishment of
      historic fact that baptism forced circumcision out of the covenant with Noah: "And I, behold, I establish
      the way. When baptism came, circumcision must be my covenant with you, and with your seed after you."
      discarded. For a time they existed side by side, espec- Gen.  9:9. And this truth is revealed in Gen.  17:.7:
      ially in Jewish Christian communities. And circum- "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee
      cision tried to maintain itself along side of baptism.        and thy seed after thee in their generations for an
      But this proved to be impossible ; and circumcision was everlasting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to
      forced to surrender its place in the church. And why? thy seed after thee.", Besides, this is evident from
      Because the Word of  IGod plainly teaches, as we have the entire historical line of development. For the line
      shown, that essentially baptism has the same signifi- of God's covenant runs in the line of the generations
      cance as circumcision, that two signs with the same from Seth to Noah, from Shem to Abraham, from
      meaning could not exist side by side, that circumcision Abraham to Israel, and from Israel to Christ. And
      belongs  to the time of the shadows and therefore must even in the new dispensation it, is very plain that God
     `make room for baptism as being the sign of fulfill- has His people in the line of continued generations.
      ment. Hence, if one would still insist that circum- Hence, the apostle Peter can preach on the day of
      cision were necessary for the Christian church, he Pentecost : "The promise is unto you,  .and to your
      could only do so because he `attached significance to it children, and to all that are afar off, even as many
      as an element of the law, sought the righteousness as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2 :39. And when
I     which is of the law, so that Christ had become of none the Lord calls those that are afar off, it is equally true
      effect to him. And surely, baptism as being the same for them : the promise is unto you and to your children.
      sign essentially and having the form proper to the new        Only in this light can it be understood that we read
      dispensation, has come in the .place of circumcision.         repeatedly in the Scriptures that houses were baptized.
      So true this is, that the apostle can write that we are Thus we read in Acts 16 :X3: "Bnd he took them the
      circumcized  when we are baptized, Col. 2 : 11, 12, and same hour of the night, and washed their stripes ; and
      that we are the true circumcision, Phil. 3 :3.                was baptized, he and all his, straightway." And in
                                                                    I Cor. 1:16 we read: "And I baptized also the house-
                                 c .                                hold of Stephanus: besides, I know not whether" I ,bap-
                                                                    tized any other." Now, it is not the question at all
                     In the Line Of Generations.                    whether you maintain that there were little children
         Now the Heidelberg Catechism bases its argument in those houses, or whether you maintain the very
      for the baptism of infants on the fact that they as well      opposite.    The fact is that houses, families, were
      as the adults are included in. the covenant and church baptized. It is the organic idea of the covenant running
      of God, and that redemption from sin by the blood of in the line of continued generations that is expressed.
      Christ and the Holy Ghost, the Author of faith, is God deals not with individuals, but with generations
      promised to them no less than to the adult. But the to establish His covenant. It is only in the same light
      question still arises: how are infants included from that everywhere children are considered as belonging
      their very birth in the covenant of God? And my to the church of God, in the new dispensation as well
      answer is that they are in the covenant because God as in. the old. God always establishes His church in
      establishes that covenant in the line of continued gen- the line of continued generations.
      erations.    This, therefore, I submit, is the ultimate          Does this mean that all the children according to
      ground for the baptism of infants: God establishes His the flesh in those generations are real, spiritual  child-


1'78                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

ren of God, are the real seed of tAbraham? No one in If infants now have the Holy (Ghost, He certainly works
the Reformed churches teaches such a thing. There in them regeneration, good inclinations, new desires,
are indeed, and always have been, that teach. that the and such other things  asare necessary for their salva-
baptism of infants is based upon their presumptive tion, or He at least supplies them with everything that
regeneration. We suppose that infants are regener- is requisite for their baptism, according to the declara-
ated, and therefore they ought to" be baptized. Even tion of Peter, `Can any man forbid water to them who
Ursinus in his Commentary on the Heidelberg Cate- have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?' It is for
chism seems to suggest this doctrine. Is that com- this reason that Christ enumerates little children among
mentary he meets an objection of those who oppose those that believe, saying, `Whoso shall offend one of
infant baptism. The objection is as follows: "Those these little ones which believe in me.' Matt. 18:6. In-
who do not believe, are not to be baptized ; for it ,is said, asmuch now as infants are fit subjects for baptism,
`He that believeth and is baptized,' etc. But infants do they do not profane it as the Anabaptists wickedly  af-
not believe. Therefore, they are not to be baptized.         firm." Here it seems that Ursinus bases infant bap-
Faith is necessarily required for the use of baptism, tism on the presumption of regeneration in the child-
for he that believeth not shall be damned. But the           ren of the covenant. Now we certainly do not deny
sign of grace ought not to be given to such as are `that infants can be regenerated, nor that it is possible
condemned."    And this objection he answers as fol- for them to have the faculty of power of faith. Just as
lows : "The first proposition is not true, if understood little children have the power to think, although. they
generally; for circumcision was applied to infants,          cannot actually think  ; just as little children have the
although they were not capable of exercising faith.          power of speech, although as yet they cannot speak;
It must, therefore, be understood of adults only, who so also it is, of course, possible that the Holy Spirit
are not to be baptized except they believe. Neither gives unto the little children from their very birth the
can our opponents say of adults that they certainly do power of faith and regenerates them  in, their earliest
believe. If infants, therefore, are not to be baptized       infancy. We even believe that it is the usual mode
because they do not believe, then neither are those to of God's working to regenerate little children from
be baptized who have arrived to years of understand- their infancy in the church of Christ. But this does
ing, because no one can certainly know whether they not mean that baptism is based on a presupposition
have faith or not. Simon  Magus  was baptized, and           or on presumptive regeneration. We certainly cannot
yet he was a hypocrite. But, say our opponents, the, state as a fact that all the children of believing parents
church ought to be satisfied with a profession of faith. are regenerated. Scripture very plainly teaches the
This we admit, and would add, that to be born in.the         very opposite. Not all are Israel that are out of Israel.
church is, to infants, the same thing as a profession of There is chaff among the wheat. And there are many
faith. Faith is, indeed, necessary to the use of bap- carnal children among those that are born of believing
tism with this distinction. Actual faith is required in parents. And we certainly cannot and may not pre-
adults and an inclination to faith in infants. There are, suppose that which is so evidently contrary to Scrip-
therefore, four terms in this syllogism, or there is a ture and to all reality..
fallacy in understanding that as spoken particularly,
which must be understood generally. Those who do                                                             H. H.
not believe, that is who have no faith at all, neither by
profession nor by inclination, are not to be baptized.
But infants born of believing parents have faith as to                            m       a       -
inclination. We also deny the minor proposition; for
infants do believe after their ,manner,  or according to
the condition of their age  ; they have an inclination to
faith. Faith is in infants potentially and by inclina-                            BOUND COPIES
tion, although not actually as in adults. For, as  .in-
fants born of ungodly parents who are without the                             of the Standard  ,Bearer
church, have no actual wickedness, but only an inclina-         Will those who have received their bound copy
tion thereto, so those who are born of godly parents         (Volume 25) of the Standard Bearer, and have not
have no actual holiness, but only an inclination to it;      as yet returned their * copies, please return them to
not according to nature, but according to the grace of J.  Bouwman  as soon as possible. Anyone desiring
the covenant. And still further : infants have the Holy to have Volume 25, or any other volume bound, please
Ghost, .and are regenerated by Him. John the Baptist notify us and send us your copies.
was filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's                                                 Ei. F. P. A;
womb, and Jeremiah is said to have been sanctified           1131 Sigsbee St., S.E.
,before  he came out of the womb. (Luke 1:15, Jer. 13).      Grand Rapids 6, Michigan

                                           .


                                         T H E   S T A N D AItD  B E A R E R                                          179

       Vobr Onze Nederlandsche Emi-                             engelsche  artikelen niet over maar  tracht ze ook te
                                                                lezen. Leg-t de Standard Bearer niet op zij als U meent
                   granten In Canada                           er niets  aan te hebben. U hebt er zeker wat  aan.
                                                                Haal Uw kinderen  er bij. Laat hen het voor U lezen
                                                                en vertalen. Dubbele vrucht ! U krijgt de voorlichting
       U  leest? . . . Ook in Canada? . . .  Natuur_lijk        die U noodig hebt en U hebt een huiscatechisatie waarin
   leest U.                                                     U Uw kinderen  kan uitleggen en naar de Schrift  ver-
       Waarom leest U? Om "bij" te blijven.  Op de duidelijken wat er geschreven is. Zet U  er toe en
   hoogte te blijven met wat er in de kerk gebeurt, om spoedig zult U merken dat het gaat. De Reformatie
   te weten hoe Christus door strijd en moeite heen  Zijn is prachtig, maar geeft niet genoeg voor ons in onze
   Kerkvergaderend werk verricht tot de laatste toege-          omstandigheden temidden van de  OAmerikaansche   ge-
   bracht zal zijn en het gebouw voltooid is. Hoe Hij           dachtenwereld. Ze kan het niet geven. Ze heeft een
   Zijn gemeente leidt en door middel van Zijn getrouwe andeie taak. Dit geeft U de Standard Bearer.  De-
   dienstknechten de komst van de Antichrist aankondigt, zelfde  Kerk, dezelfde strijd tegen afval en  -binding.
   hoe de scheidlijn tusschen  Kerk en wereld steeds duide-     Dezelfde geest in de bladen.
   lijker wordt en hoe-de antithese een harde realiteit is         U moet het lezen.
   waar we ons met geen enkele menschelijke theorie aan            Onderteekende zal aanstaande  Zondag al Uw ad-
   kunnen ontworstelen.      Dit  vraagt studie, inzicht en ressen  noteren, U abonne maken  voorzoover U het nog
   verklaring. Om dat te krijgen leest  U.. U wilt voor- niet bent en de "whole bunch" naar de States sturen
   lichting, medita.tie, schriftuitleg  en verrijking van Uw waarnaar U verzekerd  zult zijn van geregelde  toezen-
geloofsleven voor U en voor Uw kinderen.                        ding. Elke twee weeken Uw lijfblad thuis om te lezen
       Wat leest U in Canada ?      .                           en in te schrijven. Vergeef niet, het is een Ke&blad
      De Reformatie, toegestuurd door meelevende- broe- en in een KerIcblad  wordt niemand het zwijgen opge-
   ders en zusters in het Vaderland, op een abonnement legd. U hebt het noodig, Uw kinderen  kunnen er niet
   betaald door het geld dat U in Nederland  moest achter-      buiten. Wonderlijk,  in de goddelooze, humanistische,
   laten.      U leest het Gereformeerd Gezinsblad.  Lijf- Amerikaansche  wereld verschijnt een Gereformeerd
   bladen van ieder Kerklid in Nederland. Stukgelezen blad. Gereformeerd van a tot z. Dit wordt Uw blad.
   worden  ze en nog zijn ze te goed om weg te gooien. Actueel,  .vooral   ,nu de correspondentie met de  Vrijge-
   Dat is de Kerk van  Christus  in Nederland.  Bevoor- maakte kerken in Nederland en onze kerken aan de
   recht land om nog de Kerk in haar midden te hebben. orde is en er over en weer druk geschreven wordt met
   Veroordeeld land echter  ook om naast de Kerk in afval       het  doe1 meer elkaar als broeders en zusters van  het-
   voort te leven.                                              zelfde huis te verstaan en te zien. De abonnements
      Nu bent U in Canada. Lid van de Kerk in Canada prijs is $2.50 per jaar en hiervoor krijgt U 26  ke&
   of nog steeds zoekend naar de plaats waar  Christus  U de principieele voorIichting waar U niet buiten kunt.
   roept. Dezelfde Kerk onder andere naam, hetzelfde               Niemand blijve  achter.
   Hoofd, dezelfde Leidsman.                                       `Eventueele schriftelijke  abonnementen  kunnen  op-
      U bent lid  van.de Protestant Reformed Church. gegeven worderi  bij ondergeteekende : W. Wildeboer,
   Ook deze tak van de Kerk heeft haar bladen. De Stan- q/o Th. Hart Lime, Ridge Road, R. R. 1, Hamilton, Ont.
   dard Bearer is er een van. `Did blad vervult dezelfde                                             W. Wildeboer.
   taak als de eerdergenoemde, dezelfde  voorlichting  en
   Schriftuitleg enz. Door  ver&hillende   proefnummers
   hebt U er reeds kennis mee kunnen  maken. De uit-
   gever heeft al verschillende proefnummers toegezon-
   den. De Kerk in de States heeft  alle aandacht voor de                   Smyrna - Hamilton
   jonge gemeente in Hamilton.
      Maar de uitgever wil meer. Ze wil vaste Iezers               "What might be the reason to compare the city of
   hebben, Abonnementen. Subscriptions.                         Hamilton with Smyma,  the observant reader probiqbly
      "Ja", zucht U, "maar ik kan dat engels  niet lezen, thinks. What is the use of doing that? Smyrna, a
   ik heb er  niets  aan". Dat is het  probleem.    Hier is little place in ancient history-Hamilton, a new, modern
   over gesproken, gedacht en geschreven. Nederlands            city in the Western world, center of traffic and busi-
   maken? Wou U de Reformatie in het  engels?   Willen ness. Old-new, East-West. No, there is too much
 de broeders en zusters in de States de Standard  Bearer        difference to be worth speaking about.
   in het Nederlands? Geeft U zelf het antwoord. Maar              But still it appears in the columns of our church
   er is een tusschenweg. De weg van meer Nederlandse papers.' W'hy? Because in  Smyrna was a church of
 . artikelen. Dat wordt  .reeds gedaan. En  U slaat de the Lord. Not a church based on the unanimousity of

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

  its members to  practise religion and to meditate about their common grace theories which gave them an ex-
  a God who does what they want Him to do, but The cuse for enjoying part of the delights of the world.
  Church. A church that exists from eternity to eternity Was not <God gracious to the good and evil?, And was
  and where its members only gather to praise their Lord not that the way to become important in life? Why
  and to serve Him as their Head and to wait until He not honor the emperor of the Romans? Vivat Ceasar !
  finally is finished gathering His beloved children. Such Church and world united gives the best conditions for
  a church was at Smyrna long ago, the same church is a good living. The image of Caesar in the synagogue,
  in Hamilton since April 1949 . It has other members, that is the best way to make a lot of money.
  born and raised in the twentieth century, but it is the        No doubt, the congregation of them that believed
  same church, the same Head, expecting the same  `day that only God is good and mighty, and that men cannot
  of glorifying return of Jesus, all the same as the church do any good but are inclined to all evil, was in a very
  of Smyrna.                                                 poor condition. Poor, no money, no importance, just
         It is this church of Hamilton I want to tell you enough to live and not able to affiliate with the  upper-
  something about. This church is living in communica- ten, No society life. Not known in public affairs.
  tion with the Protestant Reformed Churches in the No science, no art, no trade, just poor, hard working
  States and it is called First Protestant Reformed people daily in fear for being imprisoned, for they
  Church of Hamilton, the First Prot. Ref. Church in belonged to that Church of God that judges all adultery
  Canada. Many readers have had the opportunity to and idol-service. Poor religion, poor people, just good
  get acquainted with this congregation on the day of enough to be the scum of society.
  organization or on the weekly Sunday services. But             To those people Jesus says: "Thou art rich", not
  the majority never knew about it. That is why I want "Thou will be rich". No, present time. They are
  to tell a few things. I compared our congregation with rich in the Lord, rich in their. Saviour. Hard to be-
  Smyrna for the Holy Writ gave  .us in Revelation 2 lieve, but it is the truth.
  verses 8 through 12, a message for Smyrna that drew            You understand, my readers, that I compare Hamil-
  my special attention and that also is a message for ton with Smyrna. All our congregations are in tribul&
  Hamilton. "I know thy tribulation and thy poverty tion and poverty as far as the richness of the world is
  (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them that say concerned. Hamilton is not an exception to the church-
they are Jews, but are not, but are a synagogue of rule. Look at the people how they come on Sunday
  Satan".                                                    morning from East and West, in cars of every year
     I don't want to emphasize the poverty of our con- and model, trucks, busses. They travel 40 miles, often
  gregation in order to make my readers helping-minded more than 100 miles, to be gathered aroundthe preach-
  when there might come a call for financial help. It is ing of the Word. They live in the world and have the
  more important to emphasize this  message  for the same problems as the people of Smyrna had. Labor
 _ Church. The Church is poor, always must be; if a union, common grace, not known by the upper-ten.
  church is rich and well-known and the members are Because . . . . yes, because they belong to the church
  honored all over, then most likely it is a poor church. of God. And because they believe in God, Who made
  But our Church is rich. The Church of Smyrna was man and is not made by man. He put His seal upon
  rich too. Rich by grace, not rich in the world.            their lives. And He showed them what the church was
     Smyrna was an important city. Business made a in Canada and where they had to be gathered. They
  lot of money coming in. It was a center of Roman are new Canadian citizens, want to get used to the
  culture. Humanity, the principle: man is good, as it way of living, want to help building up Canada, want
  first was taught by the CGreek  scholars and artists long to join of course. . . . No, don't want to join. one of
  before Jesus came upon earth, was the century doc- the many churches in their places, in which they heart-
  trine. "Man is mighty". Man dominates trade, art, ily welcome. They don't want to affiliate,  ev,en  not
  science, life, death, heaven and earth, was the base partly with the world by using a common grace con-
  of their belief: They had gods, made by themselves in struction. Funny people. It is a hard way, not easy,
  their imagination. Gods that loved and hated like and it often leads to poverty. But there is a message
  men. Gods that were willing to be made fornicators, for them. "Thou art rich" Jesus said to the congre-
  in order that their believers on earth could  commit       gation of Smyrna. Jesus says it to the congregation
  adultery without excuses. Smyrna had all seductions, of Hamilton today. That is what keeps them together
  the big city always has. Smyrna had its churches there in Hamilton.
  that said to be Jews but were a synagogue of Satan.            Most of them come from the Netherlands. From
  The Jewish religion was protected by the Roman gov- the Liberated churches. Don't shiver now. They are
  ernment.                                                   not a bunch of Arminians, believing in  the.free will
     The Jews, the beloved of God, the elect folk, had of man. Our ministers that have been preaching in


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     181

Hamilton know better. They are no people that don't
want to join a church with about the same name be-                                      Two Telegrams
cause they don't believe in common grace, and now try
to find the best in a country where is no better. No,                 Upon our return from the Netherlands we were
they are people that want to join  the  Church,  the only deeply grieved by the untimely article of the Rev. G. M.
Church that lives in freedom to worship the Lord in Ophoff, in the Standard Bearer of August  I, 1949.
the way He ordered His Church, not bound to be silent The readers undoubtedly recall that the article was
when they have to speak, not wanting to be dead when. occasioned by a letter from Prof. B. Holwerda to an
they have to live. They want to be ,gathered  with their immigrant in Canada.
,Lord, as a bride wants to be united with her groom.                  It always has been our firm conviction, strength-
People that are waiting for the  Tinal wedding day, ened `by subsequent development of matters, that said
when their `Lord and <Groom  comes back upon. earth' letter never should have been published. In that re-
to unite Him and His Bride to a complete unity, to spect we sincerely differ from other brethren among
glorify Him forever.                                              us who take the opposite view. The fact that we have
    The Lord sent us a minister recently . He gave His had close, personal contact with Prof. Holwerda, and
congregation the man He chose to be the friend of the have learned to love and highly esteem this brother
bridegroom. (St. John 3 29). He has to prepare His                (who in Liberated circles is considered to be a faithful
Bride for the final  me,eting  with her Groom. That and outstanding champion for the cause of God and
preparing will be the opening of the Word of God, to His Church), is, undoubtedly, one of the main reasons
show the signs or the times, and the apostacy  of the which accounts for this difference of opinion. ,
world and that what calls itself with the name of                     Furthermore, we always have felt, and were so
church. We don't see him as a missionary that has advised by most people, that *the less said in this whole
to educate remonstrants into good Protestant Reform- unpalatable affair, the `better'. And that is still our
ed, but as a teacher with the holy task of revealing conviction. And we wholeheartedly believe that this is
the greatness of God and His Word.                                for the best interest of the cause of God, and for the
   And we thank God that He heard our prayers and                 Church of God, and for the good of everybody con-
sent the man of His will. God certainly will strengthen cerned.
him like he also did the Bishop of Smyrna, Polucarpus,               However, as a matter of information to those read-
when he had to be a martyr at high age. Not that I ers of the Standard Bearer who sincerely think that
mean to see a prophecy of martyrship, but we know we should make some kind of public statement, now
times will get harder and harder. And the Lord brings that so much has been said and written, we hereby
His sheep together through wars and hard times. We quote two telegrams received by `us in August, 1949.
have not got a place in the world to become important, We quote  :
but we have to work as willing servants building where
our Master wants us to build, tearing down where He                  "Professors in as far as present at a meeting with
wants us to tear down, regardless of the opinion of the the Reverends Kok and De Jong, declare emphatically
world around.                                                     in re article Ophoff, that not a single expression of
                                                                  said ministers even in the least revealed any unfaith-
   This is a short outline of Hamilton. Much differ- fulness, Dogmatically, Church-Politically, or Ethically
ence with Smyrna? No, God's Word is up-to-date and to-or any criticism of- the Protestant Reformed
the Bible explains the time in which we live, although            Churches, or any of her members".
we like to explain the Bible according to the time.                         (  w.s.) Deddens, Holwerda, Schilder, Veenhof.
   That is what we in Hamilton believe,
   "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee                "Deputies of Correspondence with Foreign Churches
the crown of Life" (because we are rich). That is                 declare emphatically in re article Ophoff, that not a
what we pray for.                                                 single expression of said ministers, revealed even in
                                                                  the least any unfaithfulness, Dogmatically, Church-
                               W. Wildeboer                       Politically or Ethically, to-or any criticism of-the
                               Hamilton, Canada.                  Protestant Reformed Churches, or any of her mem-
                                                                  hers."
                                                                                        (w.s.) Den Boeft, Groen,  IIettinga,
                        *  *  *  +                                                             Schilder, Visser.
                                                                                   .
                                                                     Thus far the literal translation of the telegrams.
   "The devil is not afraid of a Bible that  bus  dust               To the above we add the following: These telegrams
on it." - unknown.                                                were rec,eived by us as a spontaneous reaction to the
                                                       *-... 3

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

article mentioned  is these telegrams,  and, hence, they tions of these passages. That the Lord has chosen
were wholly unsolicited.                                     us "from before the foundation of the world" must
       Furthermore, these telegrams were read, among not be understood in a temporal sense of the word.
many other documents, at a combined meeting of the There are expressions in Holy Writ, such as: "from
Consistories of Fuller Ave.,  Creston, Holland, and the the beginning," and "from before the  .foundation  of
Mission Committee, on August 29, 1949.                       the world", which undoubledly  have a more profound
       We don't believe it is necessary to add another word significance than that which is commonly attributed
to the testimonials of these brethren who, after all, `to them. On the one hand, these expressions cannot
are the only ones that can give competent testimony be merely understood in the sense that, "once upon a
in this matter.                                              time", the Lord elected His people. To do this would
       In conclusion we add that we had a rather strange make a person guilty of transferring the element of
and mixed feeling when we discovered that the breth- time into eternity. There never was a moment when
ren across the sea considered it necessary to send us the Lord elected some and reprobated others. God's
these telegrams, although, on the other hand, we grate- counsel of predestination is as eternal as God is  eEer-
fully appreciated. these testimonials.                       nal. There never was a moment when the people of
                                                             ,God  were not elected. The Lord has engraved us in
       `.                        J. D. de Jong.              the palms of His hands, and these "hands of the Lord"
I                                B. Kok                      are as everlasting as the living God Himself. Hence,
                                                             we would say, in the first place, that God's eternal
                                                             election of His people "from the beginning" and  "from1
                                                             before the foundation of the world" emphasizes the
                                                             thought that this Divine election stands above time,
                                                             is independent of time, has its cause and motive in
              O U R   D O C T R I N E   t                    the everlasting Lord Himself. If the Divine virtue
                                                             of "eternity" is that virtue of the Lord whereby He
                                                             is exalted above the creature which we call "time", is
             The Counsel Of God. (5)                         not dependent upon "time" or anything connected with
                                                             "time", such as any living creature, but lives His own!
                                                             Divine and perfect and absolute Life in full and com-
              The Attributes Of God's Counsel.               plete Divine consciousness, then this must also appy
       Fourthly, the counsel of the Lord is eternal. This. to the  Divine counsel of election and reprobation.
too, is taught in the Word of God. "Known unto God Hence, to say that the Lord has eternally elected sure-
are all His work from the beginning of the world."           ly must signify that His election of His people is
-Acts. 15  :18; "According as he hath chosen us in wholly sovereign, is never dependent upon any-thing
him before the foundation of the world, that we should outside Himself, has its origin and cause solely with-
be holy and without blame before Him in love:"-Eph.          in the everlasting Lord Himself.      *
1:4; "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,              On the other hand, however, such expressions as:
even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before "from the beginning", and: "from before the founda-
the world unto our glory :"-I Cor. 2 :`7; "To the intent tipn of the' world", have a significance far greater
that now unto the principalities and powers in heaven- and more profound than that which is commonly
ly places might be known by the church the manifold attributed to them. It is true that, discussing this
wisdom of *God. According to the eternal purpose greater and more profound significance of these ex-
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:"-Eph. pressions at this time, we necessarily touch upon the
3 :lO-11 ; "Forasmuch  as ye know that ye were not supralapsarian-infralapsarian controversy, and it is
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, our intention to enter into a discussion of this issue
from your vain conversation received by tradition later in this series of articles. We will, therefore,
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of write very sparingly about the supra-infra question
Christ, as of a Lamb without vlemish and without at ,this time. We read in Eph. 1:4 and 2 Thess. 2:13,
spot : Who verily was foreordained before the founda- 14: "According as He hath chosen us in Him before
tion of the world, but was manifest in these last times the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
for you."-'I Pet.  1:18:20. It appears from this last and without blame before Him in love . . . But we
passage that the expression "from before the foun- are bound to give thanks  alway  to God for you, breth-
dation of the world" is contrasted  tiith  "these last ren, beloved of the Zord, because God hath from the
times".                                                      beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctifi-
       God's counsel is eternal because the Lord is eternal. cation of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto
However, we should be careful with the  interpr&a-           He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the.


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -                                    183

  glory   of our Lord Jesus Christ." We understand, I         counsel in time, when he declares that "whereunto He
  am sure, that the expressions in these texts: "In Him called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory
  `(Eph.  1:4)"  and  "to salvation and sanctification of of our Lord Jesus Christ." All of verse 13, therefore,
  the Spirit and belief of the truth", must be understood must be interpreted as occurring within *God's eternal
  as the object of the election of  ,God. In the eternal counsel. This means that "from the beginning" must
  counsel of the Lord our "in Him" and "sanctification also be understood as within the counsel of the Lord.
  of the Spirit and belief of the truth and salvation"        Then He elected us "from the beginning". In God's
  are the object and result of this election of God and counsel the Divine election of His own preceded all,
  are therefore eternal facts. The Lord chose us, not things. This must not be. understood in a' temporal
  as being in Him, but to be in Him, and He elected us,       sense of the word, as if the Lord first willed this and
  not as saved and sanctified by the Spirit and belief then willed something else. "Known unto God are all `"
  of the truth, but to be sanctified of the Spirit and His works eternally." But this must be understood
  belief of the truth. The apostle presents unto us in from the viewpoint of significance. Hence, in the
  t,hese expressions the content' of the Lord's sovereign Lord's eternal counsel the  eIection  of His own is "from
  election.    Besides, we cannot interpret the  .expres- the beginning", transcends in importance whatever
  sions, "before the foundation of the world" and "from happens in this world, is primary in significance. AI1
  the beginning" merely in a temporal sense of the .word.     things are our's. The world, the devil and all his
  The Lord, then, elected or chose us before the world host, the world of evil men, sin and darkness, life and
  was created. Sometime in eternity, before this world sickness and death; peace and war, the fuming and
  received its existence from God, God elected us. Our raging of the powers of darkness, everything is secon-
  election, then, is older than six thousand years. This dary in importance to the elect, serves the elect, has
  is a Common  interpretation of these expressions. And, been sovereignly willed by God with a view to the
  of course, the intention of thus interpreting these ex-     elect. It is true that this is the supralapsarian-infra-
  pressions was to maintain the sovereign character of lapsarian controversy. But we may say at this time
   God's election. We, then, were chosen before the that the eternal character of God's counsel empha-
  world began. Hence, any reasoning to the effect that sizes, in the'absolute sense of the word, the sovereign
  the Lord's election of His people rests upon their faith character of God's eternal thoughts. Hence, the com-
  and good works is impossible in the light of the truth fort of the Church is surely all-comprehensive.
   that this election precedes our faith and  sanctifica-        The counsel of the Lord is also all-comprehensive.
t i o n .                                                     It includes all the good works of the people of God,
       Nevertheless, we feel instinctively that this does according to Eph. 2  :10 : "For we are His workman-
  not exhaust the meaning of the apostle in these pas- ship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
  sages. First of all, we mu& be careful with any ex-         God hath before ordained that we should walk in
  planation which would emphasize the element of time.        them."    It also includes. the evil. This is evident
  To conceive of a moment in eternity when the Lord           from Proverbs 16:4: "The Lord hath made all things
  elected us, as if prior to that Divine selection of His for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of
  people there was no election, is impossible. As we          evil." And in AC'S 2:23 and 4:27,  28 we read: "Him,
  have already remarked, such a moment never existed. being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore-
  God's election of His own is as eternal as the everlast- knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands
  ing God Himself. Secondly, we must bear in mind have crucified and slain . . . For of a truth against
  that God is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth.         Thy holy Child Jesus, Whom Thou hast anointed, both
  The Lord not oniy chose the elect, but He is also the       Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
  Sovereign Cause of the world in all its existence and       people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do
  activity. The elect but also the reprobates, the heaven- whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined
  ly glory but also hell, the world with .a11 its sorrow before. to be done". Moreover, the counsel is strictly
  and grief, sickness and misery, peace and war, life all-comprehensive and, therefore, includes all things.
  and death, owe their existence `and development ex-         In Gen. 45:5-8  Joseph, when making himself known
 "elusively  to the living God. Thirdly, we must bear in unto his brethren who had sold him into Egypt, de-
  mind, especially in connection with the text in 2 Thess. clares unto them: "Now therefore be not grieved, nor
  that the apostle is speaking in verse 13 of God's elec- angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for
  tion. That entire passage: "because God hath from God did send me before you to preserve- life. For
  the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctifi- these two years hath the famine been in the land:
  cation of the Spirit and belief of the truth," must be' and yet there are five years, in the which there shall
  understood as occurring in the eternal counsel of neither be earing nor harvest.                And God sent me
  Jehovah. This is evident from the fact that the apostle'    before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth,
  in verse  I4 speaks of the Lord's realization of this       and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now

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

 it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he         Yet, we can say something of this problem, although
 hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all we can never comprehend the truths of God's sover-
 his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of eignty and man's responsibility.  Both,  are true. An
 Egypt". And, in connection with the same incident, author of an act is one ,who performs a certain deed
 we read in Gen. 50 :20: "But as for you, ye thought as in perfect harmony with that particular act. Man
 evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring always sins because he wishes and desires to sin. And
 to pass, as it is this day, to save much people'alive."' he will be held accountable for his sin. God is never
 In Proverbs 16:33 we read: "The lot is cast into the the Author of sin. He is a Light and in Him is no
 lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord."       darkness at all.    He is too pure of eyes to behold
 In Psalm 119:89-91  we read: "For ever, 0 Lord, Thy iniquity and He is far from all sin and unrighteous-
 word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto ness. Hence, the counsel of the Lord, as including
 all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and wicked men and all their acts, must surely be under-
 it abideth. They continue  th.is day according to  Thine    stood in the sense that He sovereignly willed a sinner
 ordinccncclls:  for all are Thy servants." Also in Daniel and his sin, thus that that sinner is the author of his
 4:34-Z35  the all-comprehensive character of the Lord's evil and that the Lord hates all iniquity.  &rid we
 decrees is emphasized : "And at the end of the days must also bear in mind, that, although the counsel of
 I, Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, Jehovah is sovereign and is realized by God in all its
 and mine understanding returned unto me, and  I             phases and details, yet the Lord, in the realization
 blessed' the Most High, and I praised and honoured of His eternal will, never destroys or violates the
 Him that liveth for ever, Whose dominion is an ever- nature, the moral-rational being of man. How the
 lasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation Lord does this we do not know. To explain and com-
 to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth prehend how that the Lord executes all His counsel,
 are `reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to          carries out all His will also with respect to the moral
 His will in the army of heaven, and among the in- acts of all His moral-rational creatures, and at the
 habitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand,         same time does not destroy that moral-rational nature
 or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" That the counsel of man is for us impossible. Both are true and have
of the Lord is all-comprehensive is even applied in          been recognized and acknowledged by the Church
 Holy Writ to the hairs of our head, as in Matthew throughout the ages. God is sovereign. Man is a
 10  :29-30   : "Are not two sparrows sold for a Earthing? moral-rational creature. As that moral-rational crea-
 and one of them shall not fall on the ground without ture the Lord has willed him. As such he is held ac-
 yourFather.    But the very hairs of your head are al1      countable for all his deed. But we must bear in mind:
 `numbered."                                                 God's counsel is all-comprehensive.
     That the counsel of the. Lord is all-comprehensive         The counsel of Jehovah  iS also characterized by
 and therefore also includes sin and darkness does not Divine wisdom. This appears already from the word,
 mean that He is therefore the Author of sin. On the "counsel". That the Scriptures speak of the "counsel"
 one hand we may safely say that the Scriptures use of the Lord surely conveys to us the thought that God's
 expressions which we would' surely hesitate to take eternal thoughts are characterized by Divine deliber-
 upon our lips. Holy Writ certainly does not leave us ation. Surely, the counsel of the Lord must be a wise
 in the dark with respect to the question whether also counsel, for of the Lord the Scriptures  decla.re  in Rom.
 sin must be included in the eternal  counse1  of the        16 :27 : "TO  <God   onIy wise, be glory through Jesus
 Lord.    Apart from the passages which `we have al- Christ for ever. Amen." And do we not read in Rom.
 ready quoted, fact is that the hardening of the wicked      11~33-36:  "0 the depth of the riches both of the wis-
 and the raising up of Pharaoh (and this does not dom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are
 merely mean that the Lord elevated  hini to the Egyp- His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For
 tian throne, but that He raised up the godless Pharaoh)     who hath known `the mind of the *Lord?  or who hath
 are directly attributed to the operation of the living been His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him,
 God, and "Known unto  ,God are  all His works from and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For
 before the foundation of the  world'J. Hence, the hard- of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things:
 ening of the wicked, etc., also occur within the ever- to Whom be glory for ever. Amen." What an amaz-
 lasting counsel of the Lord. Whatever; therefore, one ing wisdom of the Lord unfolds itself before the ad-
 may say of the oft repeated objection that the Lord miring gaze of the believing Church in Eph. 19-12:
  is the Author of sin we must never minimize the all-       "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will,
  comprehensive character of God's decrees. We can *according to His good pleasure which He hath pur-
 never lay  &rfhcient emphasis upon the truth that God posed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the  ful-
  is God alone and that He does a& things according to ness of times He might gather together in one all things
 the counsel of His sovereign will and His good pleasure.    in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R   .                                        186

  on earth ; even in Him: In Whom also we have ob- death: Unto that end the everlasting God has ordained
  tained an inheritance, being predestinated according all things, also the devil and all his host, the world
  to the purpose of Him Who worketh after the counsel and all its godless activity. Everything must serve
  of His own will: That we should be to the praise of the one purpose of the all-wise God. Unto that end
  His glory, who first trusted in Christ."! And do we            everything is adapted to each other, and all things
  not read in Jeremiah  10:12: "He hath made  the.earth          have .but one purpose and that is to bring unto final
  by His power, He hath established the world by His manifestation the greatest possible glory of the Name
  wisdom,' and hath stretched out the heavens by His of God, even as the Lord has sovereignly conceived of"
  discretion."? This same thought is expressed by the it in ,His eternal counsel and will. The Lord our God
  prophet in chapter 61:15. And in Psalm 104 :24 ,we is, one Lord. Also His counsel is one. Everything in
  read : "0 Lord, how manifold are Thy works ! in wis-           the eternal thoughts of the Lord reaches a climax, a
  dom hast Thou made them all : the earth is full of Thy `pinnacle; And that climax, pinnacle is * the glory ,of
  riches."                                                       Him,  f`out of Whom and through Whom and unto
      Finally, that the counsel of the Lord is a Divinely `Whom are all things."
  `wise counsel is further emphasized when we  .call' at-                                                   H. Veldman.
  tention to the fact that this counsel is One. This does
  not merely mean that there is but one counsel of the                                    *  *.*  *
  Lord, but also that the counsel itself is one. It.is true
  that the Scriptures speak, in the plural, of God's pur-
  pose' or will, etc.    The Arminians or Remonstrants
  denied this oneness `of the counsel, as: is evident from
  the Canons of Dordrecht,-  I, B, 2: "Who teach: That                     SION'S  Z A N G E N
  there are various kinds of election of God unto eternal
  life : the one general and indefinite, the other particular
  and definite; and that the latter in turn is either in-                    Van  Ganscher Harte
  complete, revocable, non-decisive and conditional, or                               (Psalm 111; Slot)
  complete, irrevocable, decisive and absolute. Likewise :
  that there is one election unto faith, and another unto            Dit is een loflied,  dat- den Heere toegezonden wordt
  salvation, `so that election can be unto justifying faith, door den geinspireerden  profeet,  en dan we1 "van gdn-
  without being a decisive election unto salvation. For scher  harte" ! Benijdenswaardige arbeid !
  this is a fancy of men's minds, invented regardless of             We waren  toegekomen aan hetheuglijke  feit, dat de
  the Scriptures, whereby the doctrine of election is erve der heidenen  aan Gods volk gegeven wordt. 0 ja,
  corrupted, and the golden chain of our salvation is zij zullen het gansche aardrijk beerven. Nu vindt men
  broken : "And whom He foreordained, them He also hen vaak aan het randje der wereld; sommigen zijn
  called ; and whom He called, them He also justified ; van dat randje afgedrongen; ze kromden zich.  nog:wat
  and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Rom. in de marteling der goddeloozen en bliezen den laatsten
  8 :30.                                                1        adem  uit. En geen wonder : ze haatten Jezus, en  daar-
      God's counsel, however, is on2 It is true that it 0111 haten  ze ook U.
 is characterized by a tremendous variety of details.                Maar dat wordt straks anders. Straks  ontvangt,
  It includes millions of elect and many more millions ge de erve der heidenen. Hebt ge het niet gezien, dat
 of reprobates. And it also includes  .every living crea- Israel het land Kanaan ontving tot hunne erve? En
 ture in the heavens above and on the earth beneath dat was een type van het ontvangen' eener nieuwe
 and in the waters under the earth, and all their a&vi-          wereld, waarin enkel ,gerechtigheid  wonen  zal. Daar
 ties. Yet, the counsel of the Lord is one. It is char- zal ons `t goede;v&n  Gods woning, verzaden reis bp
 acterized by oneness of  .design   and purpose.  Un!            reis !                           ,'
 doubtedly, the fundamental, all-overshadowing  purpose              Laat'ons  verder  luisteren : het gezang is bijna uit..
 of the counsel of Jehovah is the' glory of His Name,
 the revelation of Himself, of His own infinite good-                "De werken Zijner handen zijn waarheid en ,oor-
 ness and perfection. This revelation of Himself,' of deel, alle Zijn bevelen zijn getrouw !"
His own infinite goodness and perfection,' occurs in               De werken van Gods handen ! Waar zullen we  be-
 the Son of God's eternal love, our Lord Jesus Christ, ginnen  en waar zullen wij eindigen? Ze zijn talloos;
 and, out of Him, in all the elect who must serve to hunne sommen zijn zoo groot,  dat we  `er niet bij  kun-
 reveal  thei  amazing fulness and greatness and riches nen.
 of .the glory of ,God in Christ. And it. has pleased the            Neemt het eerste werk, waarvan we  hooren-  in het
 Lord to realize this glory, to reveal this amazing mani- Woord Gods: de schepping van hemel en aarde met de
 festation of the glory of God in the way -of .sin and volheid. Welnu, die werken zijn verity zegt de  Engel-


      188                                      TXE;  S T A N D A R D   BEARER                  .

     omringen. Eigenlijk sluiten zij alles in: Uw lichaam righteousness of God, a new. heaven and a new earth
     en ziel, Uw tijd en ruimte,  Uw gaven en talenten, Uw where righteousness shall dwell,.whereas'this  age is the
     vrienden en vijanden, Uw engelen  en duivelen, hemel, age of the evil one and all those who love iniquity.
     zee en aarde, in zoo verre iij binnen Uw bereik zijn;            It is in this world that we now walk and live as the
     a,lle  dingen   moeten  door U gebruikt. En als gij dit children of God. We are in this. world, yet are we not
     ,doet met het vooropgezette doe1 om met al, die dingen        of her! Once we, too, belonged to this world, walked
     God te d&men,  dan zijt ge wijs.,                             according to it. We were one with it; children of
        En het beginsel van dat  doen  is de vrees des wrath we were as the others.
     Heeren.                                                          Now our text still further defines this" walk of the
        Dat is mooi.  En het klopt. *Alleen  de mensch die "present age". It says that the walk of us formerly
     voor  *Gods aangezicht vreest kent dat doel, en'  be- was : "according to the age of this world", but in thus
     wandelt die zegen en gebruikt die middelen. De vrees being it was at once also "according to t&e prince af
     Gods komt op uit de liefde Gods. En in dezelfde mate' `the power cjf the air".
     dat ge Bern mint vreest ge voor Zijn aangezicht.                 The apostle does not here give us a needless detail,'
        Doet ge die wijsheid  dan zijt ge verstandig. Dan which we may very well overlook without detracting
     ontvangt ge de goedkeuring van menschen en van God. from the completeness of the description of the awful
     Zelfs de goddeloozen  zullen het zeggen,  niet, luide  mis- implication of that former walk. On the contrary, it
     schien,_maar  tech we1 in het hart.,                          is in this addition' that theveil is lifted on the awful
        Dan is het goed  met U. Dan is er lof voor U. Die state and condition of sinful man. The standard of
.    Iof van de laatste clausule ziet-op  den lof die de mensch fallen man's life is that of Satan the father of the lie!
     Gods ontvangt. Het is de heerlijkheid waarmede God Fallen man is not self-ruling but `he is given over to
     U kronen zal.  .Sommigen  zullen schijnen en schitteren the jurisdiction of the, Devil and all the hosts of hell!
     als de zon of als de. starren.    Zie vers 3 van den vol- And in this awful maelstrom of the life of this world
     genden psalm.                                                 we too were formerly. Back of the life of sinful man
        Doch  alleen om `t eeuwig welbehagen. Het groote is the great hosts of darkness inspiring men and
     einde is de Lof Gods !                                        women,' individually and collectively on toward de-
        Daar kan het gansche hart in rusten.                       struction, toward'the filling up of the cup of iniquity.
        Hallelujah ! .                                  `.            This world, the world of fallen men has a "prince".
                                                        G. vos.    He is here not called the "Prince of peace". Peace he
                                                                   cannot and may not and will not give to the world
                                                                   For his name is as Prince of this  world,"the  Destroyer
                                                                   (Abaddon in the Hebrew tongue and Apollyon in the
                                                                   Greek tongue. Rev. 9 :ll) . And in all of the names
                                                                   that he bears and which all interpret to us his activity
                                                                   and relation to the throne, there is not one name which
             ' FROM HOLY WRIT                                      shows a positive trait or purpose. I              :  >
                                                                      He is Satan, who opposes God and His Christ and
                                                                   the Church of Chrisl?in this world. And in consequence
             Exposition of Ephesians 2:113.                        of this we, are certain .that there `is nothing in all of
                                                                   the legions of the devils, whom Satan has under his
                           ( c o n t i n u e d )   '               Command, that is positive in intent. ' In the whole
                                                                   house of Beelzebub there is no division of hellish intent
        At the conclusion of our former article we were and purpose. They all seek the same thing, namely,
     speaking of the implication, of- the Scriptural denota- the downfall of the Church of God. Alwaysthe saints
     tion of the phrase "the age of this world".                   are accused by Satan before the Throne of God.
        In this, our discussion, it became evident,. that the         This is, indeed, a sobering thought, if nothing more.
     phrase in question refers to the whole of this present
     worId  as it lies under the dominion of sin and darkness,        Let us attend a little more closely to the teaching
     under the law of sin and. death, under the just verdict of the Word of God, in our .t,e?t.
     of the righteous Lord. of heaven and earth. This pre-            Paul here puts `down his thoughts with climatic
     sent sinful age is meant as it is wholly this age in dis- effect. Writes he: "in `which ye once walked accord-
     tinction from the age to come. These two "ages", we ing to the age of this world, according to the prince
     "noticed, were not merely contrasts as far as time is of the power (authority) of the air". The standard
     concerned, but they are wholly different also in nature. of the world's walk is that standard followed by the
     That will be the age of the revelation of the perfect demon-world. And according to that standard we once


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       189

   walked. We too walked according to the terrible number. The apostle does not write:  authorities of
   authority of the air. Not merely a Mary Magdalene, the air, but a&hority  of the air. But it is very well
   from whom seven devils were cast, but we all once possible that the singular noun be considered a coL
S O  walked.                                                   Zective  noun denoting a class of demons who rule. We,
       That is the sobering thought when taken by itself.      too, often speak of "authority" in that sense, using
       That is the joyful thought when viewed in the the. term "government" while we really have in mind
   light of the glorious Gospel of our salvation by faith !    all those who are vested with the power to rule.
       In considering who this "prince" of this "authority       " Further Paul tells us that these demon-rulers are
   04 the air" is, we ought to bear in mind, first of all,     powers in the air. About this phrase much has been
   that Jesus Himself speaks of Satan, calling him the written by commentators and much speculative genius
   "prince of this world". Thus we read in John 12 :31:        has been spent on it. It is rather refreshing to read
   "Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the the very brief and, to our mind, to the point remark
   prince of this world be cast out". Yes, Jesus will cast of Dr. Greijdanus in his Korte Verklaring concerning
   him out, but, until that happens ultimately and com- this phrase. Says he: "the air" indicates the place  '
   pletely, Satan is the prince of this world. And, again, `where this power finds itself (is resident) and where
   in John -6 :ll we read : "And He (the Spirit of .Truth)     it lets itself be felt. But even though this brief expo-
   shall convict the world of sin; righteousness and judg- sition of Greijdanus is refreshing, it still leaves many
   ment ; "concerning judgment, because the prince of problems unanswered. However, the just named writ-
   this world is judged."                      I               er refers us to Ephesians 6:12 where we read of the
       Jesus was very well acquainted with him. Him great enemy against which we have to wrestle. It is
   Jesus had met in open conflict as the prince of this not against flesh and blood, but it is "against princi-
   world when He was tempted of him in the desert. palities, against powers, against the rulers of the
   Matthew 4 : 1-11. Again, Satan tempts Jesus through darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
   His own Apostle Peter after the latter had just made in high places".
   the glorious confession concerning Jesus' Messiahship           To what is Paul here referring in this just quoted
   and His being the Son of God ! 0, how Satan knows p a s s a g e ?
   his opportunities. He is the "old angry foe, who means          We believe that Paul here has reference  ,to the same
   us deadly woe". Rev. 12 : 12. Satan desired Peter and demon-world-powers as those spoken, of in the phrase
   the disciples before the Throne of God to sift them  as "powers in the air". And the terms "principalities,
   the wheat, and it was only the High-Priestly  inter-        powers and rulers of the darkness of this world" does
  .cession of Christ that was the reason for the continued not refer to three different groups of angels, but rather
   faith of the disciples in general and of Peter in par- should be viewed as a threefold description of one
   ticular !                                                   group, to wit, the demon-world in all their tremendous-
     . It is true that we, by faith, have been delivered ness as an evil power. This is the power that rules
   from the "Evil One", that is, from this prince of the and lords it over the whole world that lies in darkness.
   power of the air. But this does not mean that we            These demon-powers they do not only rule in the sphere
   have not to reckon with Satan's power and temptation of moral and spiritual darkness, but they rule exactly
   as long as we are in the world. Nor, to be sure, does by means of this darkness. Wherefore they are called
   this mean that we have not the blessed privilege and, the "world-usurpers of `this darkness". Their power
   calling to see with all saints from what mighty power is in a certain sense a usurped power. In this world
   of darkness we have been delivered, and thus to rejoice they have no positive program, neither are they taken
   in the mighty work of God to usward  in Jesus' death up into the positive program of the coming of God's
   and resurrection.                                           Kingdom. But their`s is the kingdom of the power of
       Christ has stripped the principalities and powers darkness.  &nd they  re;eive  this power from their
   on the Cross of all their legal power to rule over us, prince, as Satan .Himself said to Jesus, at the final
   and has made an open shame of them.                         attempt in the temptation in the wilderness: "All this
      But we are digressing a bit from our subject.            power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that
      Let us turn our thoughts to the "power in the air'!, is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give
   Who are these "powers in the air". The term here it." Luke 4 :6.
   used by Paul in the Greek original is'the term "power"         Was Satan here telhng  a lie-when he said : "for that
   in the sense of authority. It is, therefore, not simple is delivered unto me ; and to whomsoever I will I give
  brute strength that is here referred to, but the writer it ?"
   is thinking of the power to rule over others. Further-         In the final analysis Satan always lies. He is the
  more, it should be observed, that the term here used liar and the father of the lie. And surely he was tell-
  in the Greek is singular in number and not plural in ing a lie, and was the liar when he pretended to be


190                                   THE  ST--ANYDARD  B,EARER

the one to whom all things belonged. This was surely ing measure. The shelves of many worldly  (and- also
his puffed up sin of devilish pride. Yet, be this true, Christian) libraries groan under the weight of the
there still is a sense in which Satan spoke a great fact written productions of this spirit.
here with which we must reckon. Take, for instance,              Yes, this spirit comes to us in the printed page,
the phrase "for that is delivered unto me" contains an the daily news-paper, pulp magazines with all its
element of truth. It is a relative truth. Satan did not written and suggested rot and all the literary produc-
have the power to give the Kingdom of God to Jesus, tions of the world. And there is, to be sure, no "certain
and to grant Him to sit on David's Throne forever.            influence of common grace" to better this situation.
But he surely has the power to give the kingdom of Let us not be deceived.
"this evil  world"  to whomsoever he will. He has often          And, again, this spirit is dinned into our ears daily
done this in the past, and he shall do this also in the from the. housetops by the radio ; on the sign-board it
days of Anti-Christ. He gives it to those who seek for is spread before our eyes, and in the daily conversation
power, dominion to enhance their own ego and .vain-           and the "rubbing shoulders" of men it is evidenced.
glory. That is the path he suggests to Jesus in the
desert. He gave this to the Pharaohs, Nebuchadnez-               The whole world lies in the evil one.
zars, Alexanders, Caesars. He is the one that deceives           We might too say: the whole world lies captivated
and beguiles them. That had indeed been delivered by the devil's lie and his constant beguiling, and is
unto him. To bring. this about he employs all of the bowing at his shrine.
"third part of the stars of heaven" whom his "tail"            . But, and this is the point of the apostle: such we
dragged along out of heaven and cast to the earth, that were! But now we have been delivered from this awful
is, into his ignoble service.                                 power of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious king-
       Yes, this power to beguile men has been given          dom of the Son of `His love, the First-born of all
to him. And it will be Satan's role in the all-wise plan creatures, that He might be worshipped over all.
and counsel of God to presently deceive the whole                                                         G. Lubbers.
earth, to deceive the nations at the four corners of the
earth. Rev. 20 :l-3.
       Just how he does this we do not know. Our passage                           k k     *     k
here in Ephesians 2 suggests that there is a "spirit
that works in (energizes) the sons of disobedience".
aIt does not seem that the prince of this world has a
"spirit" which is the anti-thetical counterpart of the                   I N   H I S   F E A R
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes His entrance into
our hearts by His work of mightily calling us out of
sin and death to life and conversion. Now Satan and                      Called To His Praise                            .
all his hosts cannot possibly perform this work. But
they need not, nor may they, nor, again, are they will- That Wonderful Gift-Used and Ahwed.
ing to. They are the army of liars in the "air". And
they use men, and all the avenues that are not positive-+        There he goes, a pathetic figure indeed! Wounded
ly in the service of God and under the unction of the in action upon the battlefield, he has suffered the loss
Holy Spirit.                                                  `of both lower limbs. Now he must propel himself in
       All the avenues and means of the world stand at his wheel chair or be carried about by others. Wonder-
the disposal of Satan and the demon-world. Satan ful gifts those feet and legs which made him relatively
has a right before God to demand this present evil independent! Not appreciated are some of our mem-
world. That is his as prince. Only, he and all of his bers till we have to go through life without them!
will ultimately be forever destroyed. Meanwhile he And here a block further downthe  street we see one
is in full swing, a tremendous energy drives the world crossing the busy thoroughfare with the help of his
on and on and on! It is the spirit of the lie, the seeing-eye-dog. He has lost that precious gift of sight.
locusts let loose from the "abyss", from the pits of Tragic that is too ! And other losses of members men
darkness where they have been kept until the judg- suffer in this life which limit them severely in their
ment. Everywhere and in every land it is the same life here below. But you have not seen the most tragic
spirit. It is the spirit of error, of false `teaching re- till you have gone to the institutions that care, for
vealing itself in the worldly education, philosophy; the insane. Not till you see those, who, to varying
psychology, psychiatry, poetry, literature, and what degrees have lost the power of their minds, do you see
not ! And so a certain "philosophy of life" is  Srafition-    the loss of one of the most wonderful gifts that the
alized by this same spirit of error that "energizes" Umighty Creator has bestowed on man. Tragic ! That
men from generation to generation in an ever increas- is hardly the word. So awful is this loss that he who


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         x91

has lost it is even beyond the capability of realizing to impress upon his mind the more deeply and the
his great loss.                                             more in detail  that awful lie that man has a right to
   But we are only philosophizirig  if we say no more. be like God and that to rebel against the living God
Let us read again the general theme of this series of is for his good. But we; the Church of God, we who
writings.    Let us read that again, "Called To His truly are Christians, partaking  of Christ's anointing;
Praise". Let us recall that the calling of the Christian    we are'  the  prophe!s of God. The true content, the
is just exactly that of praising God in his confession,     proper content of our minds has been supplied by Him.
praisiilg  Him by a con&ant  living sacrifice of his whole For He is the Truth. And let us not forget that to
being to the Almighty, praising Him by a life of service every anointing belongs the two elements of calling
in which he reigns over every single heart beat and to a special work and qualification unto ,that work.
breath of life and every member, great and small, of We are partakers of Christ's anointing. And thus
his body. Then the awfulness of that loss of control we have been qualified by His Spirit to be prophets of
and power over the mind strikes us with all its terrible God in that He has returned to us the spiritual power
force. Lose iTour legs, lose your sight, lose your ability of our minds and filled these minds with the Truth.
to hear, yea, even lose your power of speech, but if you       Another marvelous faculty of that mind wherewith
retain control and power over your mind, you can still      God created man is the power of memory. That which
praise God. You lieed not shout to make Him hear w,e have heard of the living God in the past, we do not
your praise. He hears the still small voice in your         forget, and tie are able to teach these things to our
silent prayers. But he who has lost his natural sanity children. And in our hours of fear and distress we
and he who has lost his spiritual rationality, how will can bring back before our minds the truth of God's
he praise his Creator and King?                             unchanging faithfulness and almighty  poiver  and find
   How do we fully appreciate this God-given $wer           peace arid joy in the midst of our fears.
which enables us to be His prophets? Do we realize             Then there is the power of `rationality, or reason,
that without it confession of His name would be ab- the power to combine the truths we have received and
solutely impossible. Without it we would praise God's remembered and to proceed to a new and deeper con-
name no more than the beast in the field or than the cept of ,the truth, to build thought upon thought and
Sphinx in `Egypt. Indeed the heavens declare the glory behold the implic&ions  of truths, to deduce and to see
of ,God, and the firmament showeth forth His handi- the relationship between thd various facts of which we
work. To that we will come back, D.V., in' a later have gained knowledge. Wonderful is the mind of
installment. And of course, we are speaking here of man ! A precious gift of the A!l-Wise God.
a conscious willing confession of God's name to His            But  .what do you do with that mind? You say
praise and glory. But consider now that without that .that you are a Christian? Does the use of your mind
wonderful mind wherewith God saw fit to create us say that tob? All too frequently we abuse and misuse
there could be no spiritual impressions made upon that mind rather than use it to the praise ,of God's
us. We could not know God. We could not know His            name. We would begin to say a few things about the
name. And would you choose a man who knew noth- use and abuse- of this wonderful gift. For in the
ing of America to teach your child American History? measure that we abuse and misuse .that mind, in that
You would not. He is not qualified. Nor would we measure we surely are not walking as Christians, and
without that mind and the knowledge of God it makes we ar,e not then using the prophetic office aright either.
possible either to teach others concerning God, 0~ be Then we are also abusing it!                                  `.
taught concerning Him ourselves. Prophets of. the              One of the most pathetic sights to behold on a
Most High? No, such we would not be!                        Sabbath day in the place where God's prophets ought
   But such we now are. That is, such we, the &urch         to gather,. His church, is the prophet who hangs out
of God are. Prophets all men are, for though we lost his  sia reading, "Do Not Disturb! Prophet Cannot
the content of the image of God, thus  16sing all our Be Bothered With God's Word". Of course, I refer, to
true knowledge ,of Him, we have retained our rational, those who shht their minds to the truth of sleeping
moral nature. And that mind of the natural. man is          before  God's  face!  Had Moses gone to  sleep on Mt.
filled to capacity with the lie which the devil succeeded Sinai, how much knowledge of the truth would Israel
in driving into these minds when he seducdd  Eve to have had there in  the wilderness? What would you
open her mind to spew out the truth and admit tiis          and .I know of the terribleness of the times in which
untruth. And since that mind and its power remains, we live and of the things that must shortly come to
being now filled with the lie, and entirdy void sf the      pass if the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos had
truth, every man by nature is `a prophet of the devil.      turned away from these wonderful visions to take a
And everything that he sees, and especially every- nap? What kind of prophet of God `are you then,
thing that he is taught by his fellow-men only serves       when you put tha! wonderful mind in cold storage and


192"                                 T H E   STANDARab  B E A R E R

REFUSE to let it even come in contact with the truth?        of an event recorded in the Scriptures, then it may
That is": what you do !                                      be questioned whether that man should have been
   The Christian realizes that he must receive more graduated as having the necessary qualifications for
and more of the truth in order to fill his calling of such a wonderful and lofty calling.
praising God in his confession. And surely no one dis-          But such is not the case, with few exceptions.
putes the fact that nothing more can come out of the         These men have brilliant minds. BUT THEY  TOO
mouth of a man than that which has first entered his SHUT THEM TO GOD'S  WORD! Busy all week are
mind. Our praise of God is determined by what enters they with social, political problems. And they starve
the mind. Have you forgotten how you tried to get God's people. Careful, fai:hful study of the Word is
those first few words into the mind of your child so foreign to them. Do you not see the handwriting on
that you might hear him say them?; Have you forgdt-          the  T;iraIl? Prophets beware ! What a tremendous
ten how you sat there with your child, drilling him and responsibility rests upon these prophets ! They have
drilling him on a simple Bible text which you wanted been given talented minds, capable of studying God's
him to memorize? Perhaps it was the little speech Word above the ability of their congregations. Labor
he had to deliver at his Christmas program. You have they must to bring the congregation down to the' depth
to get it into the mind before you can expect it to flow of the truth they have seen. The praise of the con-
forth from the mouth. In this connection we like to gregation depends upon what they present. Let them
point out that the very word for prophet in the Hebrew not abuse and misuse these wonderful minds.
strongly suggests this very thing. The word prophet             We had much more to write on this use and aduse,
comes .from  a verb which means "to overflow". The but it will have to wait till later, We are creatures
idea is, of course, ,th,at God has filled the mind of a that are limited by time and space, but let us set our
particular man so full  ?f the truth-and usually though minds to thinking of these things until the next install-
by no means always in the Old Testament times it ment.
was truth about events that will soon come to pass-                                                    J. A. Heys.
that this knowledge flowed out of the mouth of that
man. He was the teacher, the prophet. Today God
does not give us the knowledge of the truth by means
of visions. But He does have His Word preached.
And to think that there are prophets who de6m their
physical ease and pleasure so far more important that
they can hang out their "DO NOT DISTURB" sign.
Think it over, sleepy prophet! Perhaps you did not
look at it in this light. But you may be sure that God
looks down from heaven upon it in that light. And do
not forget either that you have committed a double
sin. You have refused to let the truth enter your mind,
and consequently your praise of God's name will suffer.                    SKEPTICS AND  THE  BIBLE
You will fall down in your calling as Christian to
praise God from whom all blessings flow. Of course,            "Last eve I paused beside a blacksmith's door
for you have turned away from His blessing.                     And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime ;
   What then of the special prophet? Greater still              Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor,
is his guilt if he go to sleep on the job. Easy it `is to       Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
pounce upon others, but for those in the ministry of
God's Word, those who stand as prophets before the            " `How many `anvils have you had,' said I,
congregation assembled, those who are teachers in               `To wear and batter all these hammers so?'
Christ's name, let them be diligent!  bn the  puIpi(t
it is quite impossible for them to fall asleep. But that        `Just one', the blacksmith said, with'twinkling  eye;    .
says nothing of the days from Monday to Saturday.               `The anvil wears the hammers out, you know !'
And when one is ill so that one is kept from one's pulpit
on a Sabbath day and dials the radio to find a little          "And so, I thought, the anvil of God's Word
spiritual food, one is amazed at that which is presented        For ages  gkeptic  blows have beat upon:
as food. We do tiot refer simply to the brevity of the          Yet, though the noise of falling blows is hard,
expositions of  :God's  Word, although a real prophet of        The anvil is unharmed-the hammers gone  !"
God never hears too much. But if it takes a week or
half a week to compose that little superficial rewording                                 Tarbell's Teachers  &ide.


I




     VOLUME XXVI                                    February 1, 1950 - Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                 NUMIIBER  9
     ""          -..                  "_-"__                                        And these two kinds of people made up the histori-
           l!ktEDITA-TION                                                        cal people of God in Judah.
     --                                                                             And this mixed mass the Lord God of Israel is going
                                                                                 to visit with candles.
           Jerusalem Searched With Candles                                                                 ww
                                                                                    Jerusalem is visited with candles !
                        `lAnd it shall come tn pass at that time, that I will       God will surely come and will not silent be !
                  search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men
                  that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart,          He will come with a devouring fire; He will be a
                  The Lord  will not do good, neither will He do evil            shining light so that it will be clearly established what
                  . . . .I will also leave in the midst of thee an  afFlicted    kind of people He shall find.
                  and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of              No, this is no interesting story which you may read
                  the Lord.
                                                         Zeph. 192; 3:12.        at your leisure. , . .and forget.
            God, searching in `Jerusalem with candles!                              This is the Word of the Lord unto Judah and Israel.
            Jehovah, the faithful Covenant God of Israel, visit-                    And as such it has its message even today for us.
     ing His people with candles, in order to find out their Not only did the Lord really visit JerusaIem  with His
     iniquity and trespass.                                                      searching light of judgment, but all these things are
            Terrible were the days of which the prophet speaks. also typical, and they are repeated throughout the ages.
     They were days of great apostacy.  Historically, they                          Israel and Judah are the people of ~God of all the
     were the days of the kingdom of Judah when Josiah ages.                            And their states of innocence or guilt, their
     reigned, about six centuries before the coming of the departure from the truth or their cleaving,to the same
     Christ of God.                                                              is also typical. And typical is their punishment or
                                                                                 their reward of grace.
            But at this time it was very dark in Jerusalem.                         Israel is the Church of God of all the ages.
            Yes, yes, I know all about the reform that was insti-                   And you-may apply the text even today. What did
     tuted by the King of Judah, how he had tried to cleanse I say? You must apply this text today. It is the liv-
     the foul stable of Baa1 worship.                                            ing Word of God for our day in a deeper sense than it
            But there was a terrible state of moral decay never- ever could be in the ,days of Zephaniah. Things have
     theless. And this state of decay no moral reform of                         developed, but they are the same things as in the days
     Josiah can cure.                                                            of this prophet.
            There was a terrible admixture in Judah. On the                         There is a terrible admixture in our present Judah
     one hand, the text speaks of men like Josiah. They and Israel.
     "seek the Lord", and they grieve for their sin. And they                     There are the men who are settled on their lees.
     are characterized as an "afflicted and poor people".                        These people are compared to wine that grows cloudy
            On the other hand, their are the men who coagulate because of the sediment : the lees. They are thoroughly
     on their lees. They say very wicked things in their permeated with evil in its many forms. They are
     heart, and that is terrible. We can say terrible things coagulated in that evil. To sin for them has become
     with our mouth sometimes, but to say those things very natural.
     in your hearts is doubly sinful.  Xt reveals a wicked                          And this evil people reveal themselves over against
     heart. Well, they said in their heart: The  Lord  will                      God as those who are practical deists: God is so far
     not do good, neither will He do evil.                                       away from us that He will never find us out.


194                                      T H E   STA,NDARD   B E A R E R
              "l._---_-                   _____
       But also today there are the olher kind of people:           0 those candles of the living God! You simply can-
the poor and the afflicted ones. They are the people not hide from them. They and their light follow you
t.hat seek the Lord.                                             in every recess and cranny of the Universe. There is
       Beautiful characteristics ! Especially that last one : no escaping their piercing light. It is really the iiving
they seek the. Lord !                                            God Himself that looks at you !
       From the morning to the evening, yes, and even in            And notice in the text that He looks, by the light
the watches of the night, they are on the look-out for of these candles, into the eyes of your heart !
the living God. They love Him, and therefore, they                  Oh yes, there are the shining candles of God!
s e e k   H i m .                                                   Searching, ever searching Jerusalem !
       And they also found Him, for we read of them that                                -tla
they trust in the name of the Lord. God be blessed,
there are such people today. And they shall remain                  God is searching His people !
among those that reveal themselves as practical deists.             He did so in the days of this prophet. And He does
And they shall abide among the wicked until the last so today.
day. But when they are gone, then the end will come,                Every day and every minute of the day, the Lord is
and a', that time this text will have been entirely  ful- searching Jerusalem, and that is you.
                                                                    You see, God is always judging.
filled.                                                                                                  He is judging me
       But remember that this text describes our present at this very moment when I am writing these lines.
set-up in this world.                                            He judges every day, says the Holy Scripture.
       God is searching Jerusalem with candles!                     And this judging is brought home to me, first, by
       And He finds a terrible admixture !                       His glorious Word. And, second, His Holy Spirit ap-
                                                                 plies that Word in my heart. And there, in my heart,
                                                                 He tells me what He thinks of me.
       Yes, God is searching !                                      And now, according to the presence or the lack of
       And a searching ,God. is first of all a terrible God grace in your heart, you are either afflicted in that
who taketh vengeance.                                            heart, or you are foolish, very foolish in your heart.
       Oh, how the people of God were witness to that               Imagine : they say in their heart : God does not see
fact! This text began to be fulfilled in the latter days anything ! For it is plain, so they say, that He will do
of Jeremiah, who even then prophesied. It is for that neither good nor evil ! Are they not foolish?
reason that he is called the weeping prophet.                       But the others say: I am poor and afflicted!
       It began to be fulfilled when the light of the candles       And that is because with the light of God's judg-
of God's judgment came in the form of the Babylonian ment which also judges and condemns them, they  re-
captivity.                                                       ceive the grace of God, and through that grace they
       Oh how they were searched with candles.                   humble themselves, seek God and plead for His mercy,
       How literally this was fulfilled. The high and even as the true Israel of all the ages has ever done.
mighty hid themselves, but they were found out. God In the days of Zephaniah we find such people. Well,
gave ingenuity to the wicked Baylonians, enough in- wherever you are that read this, you will find that the
genuiky to find the men that had settled on their lees Lord has left Himself a remnant that trust in His
of godlessness.                                                  name, also among you. And they shall remain among '
       And as to these candles of God, they are the always us unto the end of time.
judging God. The light of this search is the light of
His blessed virtue. They are the outgoing virtues of                ,God is searching His people in Jerusalem !
righteousness, holiness and truth. They are the candles             But there will be an end of this, God be thanked !
of God. Terrible it shall be if a man is entirely wicked,           We do not have to remain among the wicked as the
thoroughly dark and evil. This light of God's judg- remnant forever !
ment will surely find him out and make him to taste                 The time will come when this searching of God
His utter condemnation.                                          shall have been finished, and at that time the judgment
       And thus the Lord will deal with the church of of God shall be fulfilled.
God throughout all the ages and in every clime.                     For that time we hunger.
       God's candles burn brightly indeed.                          Then the Word of the Lord shall find them.                  "
       They are the Word of God.                                    Yes, they  stil1 shall be settled on their lees. But the
       That Word is quick and powerful and sharper than coagulation on their lees shall be terrible. It shall
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing seem that they have entirely identified themselves with
asunder of soul and spirit,  .and of the joints and mar- sin. The same picture you have in the Bible, for at
row, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents the end of time these people are called the &Ian of Sin !
of the heart.                                                       But the Word of the Lord shall find them. The


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        195

all-penetrating light of His glorious virtues shall reveal listened to good people that were almost desperate,
them in all their horrible perversion and iniquity. for they thought that someone was "getting away with
And the whole Universe shall be witness to the evil of something". You could tell by the very fervor of the
their sin.                                                  teller of the story that they required haste, that the
   In this present dispensation they seem to have wicked-doer better be stopped at once, that if we do
success with their philosophy: the deist seems to have not act immediately, he will escape, and there never
his measure of success. Does it not seem as though he will be any retribution!
is right? Does it not seem as though the Lord will             Poor .deluded  people !
neither do good nor do evil? Does it not seem that             God is ever searching with candles!
,the only one that does anything is Sovereign Man?             And at the end of time there will be a searching
Is he not babbling today of destroying the whole Uni- such as we have never seen before.
verse? I have read statements such as these: Another           The Word of the Lord will find the men that are
war will destroy our whole civilization such as we secure on their lees. Their sin, all sin, shall be found
know it . I have read that man is speaking of destroy- out to be sin indeed, and. . .  .shall. be punished.
ing the whole Universe with the inventions he has              But at that time the poor and miserable in Jeru-
found out. Man is setting off atom blasts: what is salem will also be searched by God's candles.                     The
God doing? Where is He?                                     judgment will begin with God's people.
   But I would like to read a text to the Deist. It is         And then the Lord will discover what He found in
found in Psalm  50:21,  22: "These things hast thou them. In their hearts the Lord will discover Himself.
done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was        And He will find Himself there in the Face of Jesus the
altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove       Son of God.
thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now             In the day of God's judgment that people shall be
consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in adjudged to be entirely innocent, for it shall be shown
pieces, and there be none to deliver."                      how God paid the price in His own beloved Son.
   Listen also to another `Scripture: "The Lord shall          God will `show that these people were poor in them-
go forth as a mighty man, He shall stir up jealousy selves. They knew themselves to be sinners, and they
like a man of war : He shall cry, yea, roar ; He shall      cried to God for mercy. They were an afflicted people.
prevail against His enemies. I have long time holden        For since they receive God's grace in their hearts, they
My peace; I have been still, and refrained Myself: now were hated of all. They were treated as the wicked
I will cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and treated God Himself. When He came to them in the
devour at once." Isaiah 42 : 13, 14.                        appearance of His Son, He said: what will ye do unto
   Note three points in these two Scriptures : No. 1. :     Me?  :And they said: We will hate Thee all the day
God kept silence, He seemed to be far away and He long ! And we also hate Thy Son, Jesus Christ. And
seemed not to interfere at all; No. 2.: these wicked        we will nail Him to the accursed tree for He is too
men did wickedly and thought that God would never much like Thee ! And we will hate also all the people
come to destroy them for their evil deeds ; and No. 3. :    that are baptized in that Son, and that reveal that
God finally will come to destroy them.                      Son in all their walk of life !
   *4nd so it is in our text too: God will search out          That is what the wicked have always said, and
Jerusalem with His candles of righteousness, holiness always have done.
and truth, and according to His findings He will either        They did it initially when Cain slew Abel.
destroy or save to the uttermost.                              Oh yes, there is an afflicted people. God has left
   For that we must wait awhile.                            them among the wicked.
   It seems as though He is slack in coming. But it            But they trust in the name of the Lord.
is not slackness. He is coming as fast as He can. And          There you have the difference.
that means that He will come as fast as the things are         They know this God in the Face of His Son. They
developing in His counsel. And when all the things of have listened to His Self-revelation. They have ex-
God's counsel are realized, then He will finally come       perienced the application of this revelation in their
with His candles.                                           heart.
   And for that final coming we long and pray.                 And since that time they trust in God.
   God, searching out Jerusalem with candles!                  What that means?
                                                               It means that you rely on Him. That you let Him
                        -c\3                                shape your life, and that you expect from Him all the
   The searching God of Jerusalem !                         strength you need to walk before Him in uprightness
   I have been a listener to many complaints. Some          and integrity of heart. And that you long for His
of them were my own. But I have also listened to            coming with candles.
many that were not my own. And among them I have                                                          G. Vos.


3.96                                                                                             THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-_----

                             The Standard Bearer
           Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July and August                                                                                                              E D I T O R I A L S
                                              P u b l i s h e d   B y
                    The Reformed Free Pudlishing Association
                           Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids, Mich,                                                                                                                As To Conditions
                                 EDITOR : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
Contributing Editors: - Rev. G. M. Ophoff, Rev. G.  VOY,  Rev.                                                                                                  It was not my purpose originally at this stage of
R. Veldman, Rev. H. Veldman, Rev. H. De Wolf, Rev. B. Kok,                                                                                                   my discussion on the question of conditions to reply
Rev. J. D. De Jong, Rev. A. Petter, Rev. C. Hanko, Rev. L.
Vermeer, Rev. G. Lubbers, Rev. M. Gritters, Rev. J. A. Heys,                                                                                                 to the writing of the Rev. Petter in  Concord& The
Rev. W.  Hofman.                                                                                                                                             purpose of my writing is not to carry on a controversy,
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                                                 but rather to give a positive, and more or less system-
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                                                                    atic, exposition of the whole subject from a Reformed
M i c h i g a n .   +                                                                                                                                        point of view. And it certainly is not conducive to the
  Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                                                                realization of this purpose to pay too much attention
ta MR. J. BOUWMAN, 1131 Sigsbee St., S.E., Grand Rapids 6,                                                                                                   to what others write and especially to the writing of
Mich.        Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                                               the Rev. A. Petter. The brother will therefore have to
notice.                                                                                                                                                      have a little patience, and if necessary I will reply to
Renewals:-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-                                                                                                him at the end of my series.
ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                                               Nevertheless, I can no longer refrain from pointing
to continue without the formality, of a renewal order.
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                                                      to a grave error in the Rev. Petter's method of attack-
                             (Subscription Price $2.60 per year)                                                                                             ing me in Concord&  and especially to his misrepresent-
                                                                                                                                                             ation of what I taught in the past on the question of
                                                                                                                                                             conditions. The brother leaves the impression with his
                                                                                                                                                             readers that I, too, have changed my mind, and that
                                                                                                                                                             therefore our churches cannot safely follow so untrust-
                                                 C O N T E N T S                                                                                             worthy a Ieadership as I offer them. I therefore want
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                                                  to state here emphatically that I always opposed the
         Jerusalem Searched With Candles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193                                         standpoint of the Rev. Petter that faith is a condition
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                  and that the covenant is conditional.
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                                                    The Rev. Petter writes: "I have shown that even
         As To Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 those who are now trying to deny that element (of con-
                Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                             ditions, H.H.) have formerly defended and approved it.
                                                                                                                                                             See Standard Bearer, Vol. II, p. 47 ; Standard Bearer,
THE  TRIPLE  KNOW-LEDGE-
         An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . .._.-........... 200                                                                                January 15,1946,  p. 175, also Abundant Mercy, p. 183;
                Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                             Standard Bearer, March 1, 1948, p. 237~8. We certain-
                                                                                                                                                             ly cannot decide the position of our churches by the
         Van Boeken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..-............................................  202
                Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                             changing view of individuals."
                                                                                                                                                                How untrue this is ought to be very evident from
OUR  DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                                               the following :
         The Counsel of God. (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
                Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                                                 In my dogmatic notes on Soteriology, which I taught
                                                                                                                                                             twenty years ago, and which also the Rev. Petter has
         Correspondence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  207 in his possession, I wrote on the subject of justification
               Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                             the following :
SION'S  ZANGEN-                                                                                                                                                 "To be rejected are the following modes of repre-
         Zalig Is Den Heeren Vrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2lO sentation :
                Rev. G. Vos                                                                                                                                     "a) As if faith is the ground of our justification.
         Yes or No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 There is in faith even considered as a work no merit
               Mr. D. Jonker                                                                                                                                 before God. The ground is only the obedience of
FROM HOLY WRIT-                                                                                                                                              Christ.
         Exposition of Ephesians I :l-3 (continued) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213                                                                 "b) As if faith were a condition on which God justi-
                Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                                                                                                         fies us. There are no conditions on our part in the
IN HIS  FEAR-                                                                                                                                                covenant of God. All the benefits of grace are be-
         Called To His Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215    stowed upon us absolutely unconditionally. Never may
                Rev. J. A.  Heys                                                                                                                             the sentence, `Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
                                                                                                                                                             you shall be saved,' be presented as condition and


                                   T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          197

promise. Faith itself is an act of God and a benefit        outside of God a party to whom He could promise
of grace bestowed upon us.                                  something? He is the absolute, subject and object in
   "c) As if faith were the means on our.part whereby Himself, the completely self-sufficient One, the only
we can accept Christ, the hand whereby we can take Blessed, the Eternal, the wholly unique. Apart from
hold of Him, or the taking hold of Him itself by means Him, above Him, next to Him, without Him there is
of that hand. This presentation is principally Remon- nothing. He is His own party. To whom then would
strant.                                                     God be able to promise something or to offer anything?
   "The correct presentation is the following:              Where could there be a party outside of God to which
   "a) Faith is the instrument of God in as far as it       God could promise anything? No, if there `is a prom-
is the bond that unites us with Christ. All our right- ise of  ,God, then the entire contents of that promise is
eousness is in Christ Jesus. ,As long as we are not out of Him. Then also the heirs of the promise are
grafted into Him by a true faith we are of and out          out of God alone. Then God has sovereignly fore-
of ourselves children of wrath. Through faith, how- known the heirs of the promise, foreknown them in
ever, God unites us with Christ and declares us free such a way that they come into existence exactly
from sin. For that reason the Word of God uses the through that divine, sovereign knowledge, that eternal
preposition dziz with the genitive- of pistil to express divine conception. And therefore you cannot conceive
this. And only in this way can we understand that           of a gospel without the divine, sovereign predestination
God imputes the faith of `Abraham for righteousness.        of the heirs of the promise. And the gospel is the glad
   "b) Faith is also instrument on the part of ,God,in      tidings of God concerning the promise to those heirs of
as far as He brings us through faith to the conscious-      the promise.
ness of our justification, and speaks to us of peace           And again, speaking of our reconciliation with God
ifi for0 conscientae.                                       I wrote: "Reconciliation is not a possibility, but an
   "c) And on our part faith becomes means in as            established fact. To be sure,  -we enter into the state
far as we through the act of faith accept and appro- of reconciliation through faith. But never may recon-
priate unto ourselves the righteousness of God in           ciliation be presented as a possibility, neither with
Christ. For that reason the Word of God uses in this respect to the power and perfection of that reconcilia-
connection also the preposition  ek with the genitive of tion, nor with respect to the participants of the same.
Christ. Rom.  5:1: `We therefore being justified out For Christ has died for the elect, God reconciled the
of faith have peace with God through our Lord Jesus elect through the blood of Christ with Himself, not
Christ'."                                                   imputing their trespasses unto them. Reconciliation
   Thus I taught the Rev. Petter years ago. It is, therefore is not conditional. It depends not on our faith;
of course, his privilege to depart from this sound teach- it is not brought to nought by our unbelief; it is in all
ing and to present a different view if, namely, he can its significance a historic fact, the fulfillment of the
defend it before our Protestant Reformed Churches.          sure promise of God, and must be proclaimed as such."
But it is not honest to leave the impression with his          And again, speaking of the subjective application
readers that I have changed and that therefore there        of the benefits of salvation unto the elect I write: "All
is something wrong with my leadership in our churches. this belongs to the content of the promise of God to
   If the Rev. Petter will take the trouble to read my      His people and must be proclaimed as the work of God,
elaborate criticism on the Heynsian conception of the       as the sure work of God within us through His grace
gospel in the ninth volume of' the Standard Bearer,         in the preaching of the gospel. -41~0 here you would
he will certainly find that the whole tenor of this         detract from the work of God if you would present this
criticism is opposed to the idea of conditions. Through- as an uncertain or conditional offer."          And  I em-
out these articles I emphasize the truth that the prom- phatically reject the presentation of Heyns that faith
ise of God is absolutely certain and unconditional, and is a demand with which man must comply in order to
is meant only for the heirs of the promise, that is, the    receive in his possession the salvation to which God
elect. Just read the following: "A promise rests only       gave him an objective right.
in him that promises, the promise of the gospel %I             These articles against Heyns were written more
its certain realization only in the eternal and only true than fifteen years ago, and I still subscribe to them
*God ; the gospel of the promise is therefore eternally     and to what I teach on the subject of the promise and
sure. For a promise is a verbal or written declaration      conditions.
whereby the one that promises is pledged to do or to           Again, I wish to refer to the pamphlet on the sub-
bestow something upon someone else. The gospel of ject, "The Gospel," published and distributed by the
the promise, therefore, is the glad tidings that God        Sunday School of the First Protestant Ref. Church.
has pledged Himself to bestow eternal life and all          This, too, was written by me more than a dozen years
things on the heirs of the promise." And again : "How ago, and was re-printed in  1946.. From this pamphlet
could it be different? Where could there be next or         I quote the following :


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        "Now, it is important, that we clearly understand ditions. He appeals to the mere statement that justin-
the nature of a promise. It is by no means the same cation in the subjective sense is contingent upon faith,
as an offer. Also in the latter the person that makes as if that could possibly mean the same as the state-
the offer declares his willingness to do some.hing  for ment that faith is a condition unto justification or unto
or to bestow something upon the person to whom the salvation. But let me quote the connection in which
offer is made, but for its realization the offer is con- that statement occurs, in order to prove that the Rev.
tingent upon the willingness of the second party, upon Petter wantonly misrepresents my words. You may
his consent to the offer. But a promise is different. find the quotation  in  the  Standard Bearer,  Vol. XXIV,
It is a declaration, written or verbal, which binds the p. 439.
person  that makes it to do or forbear to do the very            "Nor is the relation between faith and justification
thing promised. It is an engagement regardless  of to be conceived and presented as that of a benefit on
any corresponding duty or obligation on the part of God's part and a condition on our part. This, too, is
the person to whom the thing is promised. A promise, often alleged. God saves and justifies us on condition
therefore, implies the declaration of a certain good that we believe. Superficially considered, it might
together with the positive assurance that this good seem as if there were truth in this assertion. Is it not
shall be bestowed upon or performed in behalf of the true that we must believe in order to be saved? If we
person to whom the promise is made. This certainty believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be justified;
of the promise is, as regards the promise in Scripture, if not, we shall be damned. It appears, then, that,
emphasized by the fact, that it is God Who makes the justification is conditioned by faith.
promise. God conceived of the promise  ; He it is that           "Yet this cannot be the relation. First of  ail,  i:
realizes the thing promised; He declares the promise. should be remembered that objective justification is
Which implies, in the first place, that the promise before faith. Objectively, we are justified regardless
cannot be contingent upon the will of the creature.           of our faith. In eternal election all those given Christ
And, secondly, this signifies that the promise is as by the Father are `righteous before God forever. And
faithful and true as God is unchangeable. He will sure- this righteousness cannot be contingent upon faith,
ly realize the promise. When He binds Himself to do even though it is true that we cannot appropriate this
or to bestow anything, He is bound by Himself and all gift of righteousness except by a true and living faith.
His divine attributes to realize  t.he promise unto them Besides, long before we believed, the justification of
to whom it is made, for He `cannot deny Himself."             all the elect is accomplished forever in the cross and
        And again, from the same pamphlet I quote:            resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, secondly, although
        "And, a's we remarked before, this stands to reason. it is true that justification in the subjective sense is
A promise cannot be offered. An offer is a conditional contingent upon faith, we must never forget that faith
proposition. It depends and is contingent on its con-         is not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. It is therefore
sent by man.         But a promise is binding him that not a condition which we must fuIfil1 in order to b>
promised.        And this is especially and emphatically justified: God Himself fulfills all the conditions of  sai-
true of the promise of the gospel. In the first place, vation."
because it is God that promised and He cannot lie.               It will be evident to the reader that the statement
He is faithful and true and will surely realize His that justification in the subjective sense is contingent
every  .word. Secondly, because the things promised upon faith is equivalent to the statement in the same
cannot possibly be realized or partly realized by men. connection "`that we cannot appropriate this gift of
If the gospel were the preaching of a conditional offer, righteousness except by a true and living fai'h." For
there is nothing in the condition man can possibly ful- the rest, how the Rev. Petter can possibly draw the
fill. He cannot of himself believe the promise; he can- conclusion from, the above two paragraphs that I
not even will of himself to believe in Christ. He can- changed my mind about the question of conditions is
not repent and turn unless God first realizes the prom- a complete mystery to me. I emphatically deny him
ise unto him. In other words, the promise of God is the right so to misinterpret me.
either unconditional, or it is impossible of realization.        Again, the Rev. Petter also refers to an article in
And in the third place, the promise is given, not to all,     the Standard l?earer,  Vol. XXII, pp. 1'75, ff. But also
but to a certain party, to the seed of Abraham, to            this article offers no ground whatsoever for the Rev.
those that are of Christ, to them that are in sovereign Petter's contention that I changed my mind on the
grace elected unto salvation from before the founda- question of conditions. In that article I am criticizing
tion of the world."                                           the standpoint of the Liberated Churches that the
        It is nothing short of astonishing that the Rev. promise is conditional. And even in that criticism 1
Petter even refers to my article in the Standard Bearer make it very plain to anyone that can read that I must
on  t.he subject of faith and justification to make his have nothing of conditions, even in the so-called Re-
readers  believe that I changed on the subject of con- formed sense of the word. For instance,  I write:


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      199

 "It is, of course, the Reformed view that all `conditions'     Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in him and
 of the covenant, all `conditions' unto salvation, are ful- love him with all our hearts, and with all our souls,
 filled by God Himself." Let the Rev. Petter note, and with all our mind, and with all our strength; that
 please, that I put the word  con&ion in quotation we forsake the world, crucify our old nature, and walk
 marks, which means that I am not responsible for the in a new and holy life.' But this part is not presented
 term, even if used in the Reformed sense. The same as a condition for the part of God, which we must ful-
 is true in the following statement: "If the brethren fill before, and in order that God will fulfill His part,
 of the Liberated Churches understand the `conditional but as the new obligation of love which follows upon
 promise' in this Reformed sense, etc." By putting and from God's part. And only when and afler God
 this phrase  conditional promise  in quotation marks I has fulfilled His `part' of the covenant, can we begin
 naturally mean to express that I personally must have to fulfill ours".
 nothing of the term.  LAnd the Rev. Petter certainly              And again, to quote no more: "We conclude, there-
 can understand this.                                           fore, that the view that all the children of believing
     Besides, if the Rev. Petter had but c.arefully  read parents are equally in the covenant in virtue of a
 the entire article, he ceriainly could not so have mis- conditional promise is in conflict with the plain lan-
 represented me as to write in  Concordia:  `"I have guage of our Baptism Form."
 shown that even those who are now trying to deny                  Again, on page 199 of Vol. XXII of the Standard
 that element have formerly defended and approved it." Bearer, I write in answer to an exposition which the
 And again: "We certainly cannot decide the posi';ion           Rev. Bremmer offers of the well-known passage in
 of our churches by the changing views of individuals." Romans 9: "This question the apostle puts in a very
 That I certainly did not change my views at all on specific form, at ieast by implication: Is the Word of
 the question of conditions may be gathered from the God fallen out, become of none effect? Did God fail
  very article to which the Rev. Petter refers : for in that    to realize His promise to the seed of Abraham?
* article I write as follows:                                      "It is this question which he answers in the first
     "The truth of this statement is already evident from part of Romans 9.
  what we quoted of that form above. That expository               "And how does he answer it?
  part of the form establishes the whole of God's cove-            "Does he say: No, the promise of God is faithful,
  nant and all its benefits' as absolutely sure unto `the and the Word of God has not fallen out, but the prom-
  children of the promise'. God's part of the covenant ise was conditional, contingent upon the  faiih of those
  is that He realizes it completely, objectively and sub- to whom it was promised ; and since many did not
  jectively, both as to its objec:live  establishment and believe the promise they did not receive the blessings
  as to its subjective application.      God assures the promised to them, bequeathed upon them, as the Rev.
  `children of the promise', that He establishes His Bremmer would have it?
  covenant with them, that He adopts them, that He                 "Not at all. There is not a word in this passage
  forgives their sins and justifies them, that He de- that suggests such an interpretation."
  livers them and sanctifies them, that He preserves               From all the above, and I could refer to many more
  and glorifies them. This is absolutely unconditional. passages out of my writings, it should be abundantly
  No condition whatever is mentioned in this part. Fact evident that the Rev. Petter grossly misrepresents me,
  is, that if there were a condition attached to this, the and certainly does not write the truth about me and
  covenant could never be realized, and that entire ex- about my views on the question of conditions when he
  pository part of the Baptism Form would be made vain. leaves the impression with his readers ,that I, too, have
  But God's work is never conditional. And the language changed and that I do not always speak and write the
  of the Baptism Form is as positive and unconditional same language. It is not I that have changed, but the
  as it possibly could be. The mere fact that the future Rev. Petter is departing from what has always been
  tense is used in connection with the work of the Holy accepted among us as Protestant Reformed truth.
  Ghost (He will dwell in us) does no more make this            I want him to know that I will always oppose the views
  work contingent and conditional than when the same that he is attempting to inculcate into our people both
  tense is used with respect to the work of the Father          in my writings and in the spoken word, whether it be
  (He  will provide us with every good thing) ; it merely       in lecture or in sermon. And I want him to under-
  denotes that God the Holy Spirit will surely fulfill stand too that in so writing and speaking I do nothing
  this promise in the future, i.e., all our life long, as well but that which I have always done, maintain and de-
  as in the present.                                            fend our Protestant Reformed truth. It is not I that
      "To be sure, the Baptism Form makes'mention  of oppose the Rev. Petter, but it is the Rev. Petter that
  our `part' in the covenant, that `we by God through opposes and contradicts that which I have always
  baptism are admonished of, and obliged unto new taught as being the truth of Holy Writ and of our
  obedience, namely, that we cleave to this one God,            Reformed confessions.                         H. H.

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

                                                                   It stands to reason, however, that seeing that Scrip-
   THE  TRIPLE KNQWLEDGE                                        ture and experience both plainly teach that all the
                                                                baptized children are not saved, the promise must
                                                                necessarily be presented as conditional. It is contin-
 An Exposition Of The Heidelberg gent for its fulfillment upon the faith of those that are
                                                                baptized. They are obliged to believe the promise, to
                      Catechism                       '     - fulfill their covenant obligations, their part of the
                       P A R T   T W O '                        covenant of `God. If they fail in this, the blessings of
                                                               the covenant do not actually come in their possession.
             O f   M a n ' s   R e d e m p t i o n              Instead they fall under the terrible covenant wrath
                  LORD'S DAY XXVII.                             and vengeance of God.
                                                                   ,With this view we also cannot possibly agree.
                              4.                                   In the first place, let it be noted that it certainly
             Infant Baptism and Its Ground.                     does not establish the assurance of which it boasts,
                              C,                               that is, the objective certainty that' according to the
               In The Line Of Generations.                      promise of God  *all that are baptized are really in the
                                                                covenant and have a God-given right to its blessings.
    On the other hand, there are in the Reformed                   They speak of  "a conditional promise". And the
 churches those that must have nothing of presumptive condition upon which the promise is contingent is faith
 regeneration as a basis for the baptism of infants,            and obedience. It is true that many Reformed theo-
but who rather find the ground for infant baptism in logians have presented erroneously, in my conviction,
 the promise of the covenant. For this promise is:              faith as a condition unto salvation and unto entering
 I will be your God and the `God of your seed.                  into the covenant of God. But even so, they emphasize
    The motive of those that adhere to this theory is           that all "conditions" unto salvation are fulfilled by ,
 that they seek a certain assurance for all the children God Himself. If, therefore, we- say that our actually
 that are born of believing parents. They seek certain- receiving the blessings of the covenant is conditioned
 ty. On the basis of a presupposition, or presumptive           by faith on our part, we must hasten to add that God
 regeneration, there is no assurance possible, say they.        Himself gives us the faith. `He Himself fulfills the
 According to those that hold the theory of presumptive condition. The fulfillment of the condition, that is,
 regeneration the covenant is after all established only faith, is included in the promise. If, therefore, those
 with the elect. One must therefore first know that'he that teach that the promise of God is for all the bap-
 is elect, before he can have the assurance that he be- tized children would be consistent they must come to
 longs to God's covenant. The best one can do on this the conclusion that all the baptized children are actual-
 basis with respect to the covenant children is to pre- ly saved. To all God promises the blessings of the
 sume or suppose that they are really in the covenant.          covenant. To all He promises His grace and Spirit..
 There is no assurance. Hence, they reject this entire To all, therefore, He promises the lively faith whereby
 conception. They want no distinction between an ex- they become partakers of the blessings of the covenant.
 ternal and in internal covenant or between being really Th. promise of God is sure. Hence, ail the baptized
 and not really in the covenant. They refuse to speak children are surely saved. The sign and seal of this
 of suppositions and presumptions, and they seek ob- they receive in baptism. Hence, the inevitable con-
 jective certainty. And this certainty with respect to clusion must be that all the children that are born
 the covenant of God they find in the promise: I will under the covenant are surely saved.
 be your God and the God of your seed. This promise                However, those who maintain this theory that the
 all the covenant children may accept. It is sure. It promise of God is for all realize very well, of course,
 can never fail. On it they may rely. It is a sure basis that this position is untenable. They understand very
 of certainty and personal assurance of faith; and, at well that Scripture plainly teaches  ,that many that are
 the same time, it is the only ground of infant baptism.        born under the covenant are irretrievably lost. ' And
     It is evident that according to the view of the latter besides, also experience teaches that many of the bap-
 the promise is for all that are born under the covenant, tized children are not saved. Hence, they must inevit-
 for all the children of believing parents, for all that are ably come to the conclusion that a so-called conditional
 baptized. In the promise God bequeaths all the bless- promise to all is a promise the condition of which the
 ings of the covenant upon all that are baptized. He baptized children themselves must and are able to ful-
 gives all the right to those blessings. One may say, fill. This is the view of the late Prof. W. Heyns. He
 therefore, to all the baptized children: You are really maintains that to every baptized child is given suf-
 `in the covenant  ; you have the right to  accept   the        ficient subjective grace to bring forth good fruits,
 promise.                                                       which means, of course, the fruit of faith and repent-


                                   T H E    S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                       201

ante. Or rather we may say that according to him all is surely not the meaning of the Baptism Form. The
covenant children receive  sufhcient  grace either to mere fact that the future tense is used in connection
accept or to reject their covenant obligations. Writes with the work of the Holy Ghost {He will dwell in us)
he in his Catschetiek, p. 144, 145: "There is therefore does no more make this work of the Holy Spirit con-
a subjective grace which a) is sufficient in connection tingent than when the same tense is used with respect
with the spiritual labor through the means of grace to `the work of the Father (He wiZZ provide us with
to bring forth the good fruits of faith and obedience, every good thing). On the contrary, it merely denotes
so that  IGod has the fullest right to expect these  ; that God the Holy Spirit will surely fulfill this promise
b) which, however, does not exclude the possibility in the future, that is, in all our life, as well as in the
that the covenant child even in spite of the most ex- p r e s e n t .
cellent influences of the means of grace (Luke 13) re-          And therefore, we cannot accept the theory of a
mains unfruitful, produces rotten grapes, and which conditional promise for all the children that are bap-
therefore does not consist in definitely saving grace ; tized and that are living under the dispensation of the
c)` which is not in conflict with the confession that the covenant.
deepest  ground'of our salvation lies in the election of        The truth therefore is not that the ground of infant
God and that salvation is entirely th.e work of God." baptism is a certain presumptive regeneration. Nor
The distinction, therefore, according to Heyns, between is the ground that the promise of the covenant is for
baptized children and others, is that the former receive all that live under the dispensation of the covenant,
suflicient grace to accept the covenant, to bring forth which is plainly not true. But rather that the Scrip-
fruits of faith and repentance, although they can still tural ground for the baptism of infants lies in the fact
refuse to do this. This, however, is pure Arminianism that God establishes His covenant in the line of con-
and Pelagianism applied to the covenant. ,And of tinued generations, while in those generations there
course, even with this view the desired certainty for are children of the promise, while at the same time
all the children of the covenant is not attained. For in among them there are also the carnal children that
that case the covenant is made contingent upon the never receive the blessing of the promise and that
will of the sinner. And that means that ultimately it trample under foot the covenant of God.
has become impossible of realization.                           Thus it was in the old dispensation. At that time
   Besides, this view is in plain conflict with the teach- the covenant of God was confined within the limits of
ing of our Baptism Form.                                    the nation of Israel. They formed one nation. They
   The expository part of that form establishes the         all lived under God's dealings with His own. They
whole.of God's covenant and all its benefits as abso- were all delivered with a mighty arm from the house
lutely sure unto the "children of the promise". It is of bondage. They were all witnesses of God's terrible
not conditional whatsoever. God's part of the cove- wonders. They, all passed through the sea. And they
nant is that He realizes it completely, both objectively were all baptized into Moses. They all ate of the
and subjectively, both as to its objective establishment spiritual bread and drank out of the spiritual rock that
and as to its subjective application. God assures the followed them in the desert. They were the nation
"children of the promise" that He establishes His cove- that received the law, to whom the Word of God was
nant with them, adopts them for His children and            entrusted, whose were the prophets, the priests, the
heirs, that He forgives all their sins and justifies them, kings, the service of the temple, the altar and sacri-
that He delivers them and sanctifies them, that He          fices.    Yet with the majority of them God was not
preserves and glorifies them until they shall appear well-pleased.          There were in the generations of the
with all the elect in life eternal. This is not presented people of God of the old dispensation. two seeds : the
as a conditional promise, but is absolutely uncondition- true children of the promise and the carnal children
al. Fact is, that if there were a condition attached to that despised God's covenant and trampled under foot
this, the covenant could never be realized. But God's the holy things of the covenant of Jehovah, His Word
work is. never conditional, and it is in no wise con- and His precepts.' Yet it was the will of God that all
tingent upon the will and the work of man. The lan- should receive the sign of circumcision, the seal of the
guage of the Baptism Form is as positive and uncon- righteousness which is by faith.
ditional as it possibly could be. It is true that Heyns         Nor is it different in the new dispensation. The
emphasizes the fact that in that expository part of         church in the world is the gathering of confessing
the Baptism Form the Holy Spirit is presented as believers and their children. And they form one people,
being willing to dwell in us and to apply to the children even though the course of God's covenant is no longer
of the promise all the benefits of salvation. But whether confined to one single nation. `And to this people God
this willingness of the Holy Spirit shall be realized reveals His covenant. They are called after His name.
depends upon the attitude of the covenant children And outwardly all that belong to them are subject to
themselves, upon their faith and obedience. But this the same dealings. All are according to the will of God

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

baptized in the name of  `God triune. To all the Word out.           For  ,God certainly realizes His promise to  all
is preached. And all, unless they viola'e  the covenant His people. His Word never fails.
of God before they ever come to the confession of                 But it is our calling, our sacred obligation, our
faith in the church, celebrate the death of the Lord           responsibility before God, to walk as spiritual children
Jesus Christ at the communion table. Yet also to the           of the covenant and keep our part of that covenant,
church of the new  dispensalion  apply the words of namely, that we shall love the Lord our God with all
Romans 9 :6-8 : "Not as though the word of God hath our heart and mind and soul and strength, cleave unto
taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which Him and trust in Him as the God of our salvation,
are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of forsake the world, crucify our ,old nature, and walk
Abraham, are they all children : but, In Isaac. shall in a new and holy life.
thy seed be called. That is, They which are the child-                                                        H. H.
ren of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but                             *  Q  *  *
the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Always there are' in the line of the generations of the
people of God the true spiritual seed. But there also                            Van Boeken .
develops always again the carnal seed, that live in close
proximity and outward fellowship with the spiritual DE  HEILI,GE  GEEST, onder redactie van Prof. Dr. J.
seed, dwell in the same house with the latter, are sub-          H. Bavinck, Dr. P. Prins, Prof. Dr. G. Brillenburg
ject to the same influences as these, but are not child-         Wurth. Uitgever J. H. Kok, N.V. Kampen, Neder-
ren of the promise, and receive not the grace of God in          land. Prijs f. 9.25.
their hearts.                                                     Dit lijvig boek (452 paginas) behandelt den  per-
       And the significance of the presence of this carnal soon en het werk van den  Heiligen  Geest. Het doet
seed within the generations of the people of God is dit achtereenvolgens in een exegetisch deel, een  dogma-
very evident, both from Scripture and from actual historisch deel, en een piaktisch deel.
experience. Because of the perpetual presence of that             Het is niet gemakkelijk om een werk als dit in ten
carnal element in the church of Christ in the world, kort overzicht te beoordeelen, vooral ook omdat zijn
the church must fight here hardest battle in her own inhoud bestaat uit verschillende opstellen van even  soo-
house and not on the mission field. For it is by this vele schrijvers. In het algemeen kan ik opmerken,  dat
carnal element that the measure of iniquity is filled. hjer veel stof geboden wordt, die lezenswaardig is,
And from the carnal seed the antichristian power is en die ook voor ieder, die Hollandsch  lezen  kan, be-
constantly developing, until the Man of Sin be revealed, vattelijk is. De stijl is helder, en het boek is op popu-
the Son of Perdition, the culmination of all the forces laire wijze geschreven. En het is rijk van inhoud.
of iniquity. It is in the carnal seed that sin becomes Gaarne bevelen we het bij onze leaers aan.
manifest in all its horror. They kill the prophets and            Als een woord van kritiek zouden we  willen  op-
stone them that are sent unto them. They crucify the merken, dat de systematische eenheid in het boek al
Christ and always crucify Him anew. They bring te zeer gemist wordt. Dit  mocht  verwacht  worden,
for:h the false church. With them the children of the daar er bijna zooveel schrijvers aan hebben medege-
promise are engaged in continual spiritual warfare, werkt, als er hoofdstukken in het bock zijn. 001~ cou
until the days come in which there shall be great  ttribu-     ik wat meer verwacht hebben over de altijd zich op-
lation,-days in which the very elect would be deceived,        dringende vraag over de werking des Gee&es  v66r den
if they were not shortened for their sake.                     Pinksterdag.    Met het hoofdstuk over "De Heilige
       And thus it is according to the will of God revealed    Geest en de algemeene openbaring" ben ik het grooten-
in His Word that the sign of baptism is to be adminis-         deels niet eens, noch ook met de opmerkingen  over "bet
tered to all the children that are born in the line of the     niet-christelijk gebed" op p. 391.
generations of God's people.                                     t Gaarne ter lezing aanbevolen.
       But while the sign and seal of the covenant is a                                                        H. H.
savour of life for the children of the promise, it is at
the same time a savour of death unto death for the             GENESIS, door Dr. G. Ch.  Aalders  (Korte  Verklaring
reprobate, that trample under foot the covenant of               der  Heilige  Schrift). Eerste Deel, Hfdst. 1-11:26.
Jehovah.                                                         Tweede druk. Uitgever  J.  H. Kok, N.V. Kampen,
       We must watch, therefore.                                 Nederland.. Prijs f. 4.95..  ,.  "  ".  :        :  ,.
       We must not say: We have Abraham to our father.            Dat deze .korte verklaring nrant,het boek Genesis een
All are not hsrael that are of Israel. Neither are. they tweede  druk beleefde,-'  is'" we1 -.een: .bewijs,  dat ze in
children`of God because they are of Abraham's natural Nederland en  waarschijnlijk  ook bij  ens'  HoRandsch
seed. Nor ever say that the Word of God has fallen             lezend publiek in Amerika, zeer gezocht is. En geen


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                                                          word, but what he actually has in mind is the main-
          O        U       R         DOCi'RINE
                                                          taining, not of man's responsibility, but simply of man
                                                          and that over against the living God. This also applies
                                                          to the historical development of the truth of the counsel
        TheCounselOfGod.(6)   ~                           of the Lord. There are, fundamentally, but two views
                                                          of this concept. Some present the counsel cf God as
  God's Counsel  Exchsively Divine And Sovereign.         based upon foreknowledge. This means that the Lord
                                                          saw beforehand what would happen and decided ac-
   First of all, I will attempt to trace briefly the de-. cordingly. And the other presentation of the Lord's
velopment  of this tremendous dogma throughout the eternal decrees would maintain that they are wholly
ages of the development of God's Church in the New unconditional, sovereign, not based upon that which
Dispensation. ,AAnd  we set out by declaring immediate- the Lord saw beforehand, and that the counsel of the
ly that there are, fundamentally, but two conceptions Lord is therefore the Divine, sovereign Cause of all
of the counsel of God: God or man. Generally speak- things.
ing, this principle may be applied to the presentation       Until the time of Augustine there was little develop-
of any  phase of the truth. Whether one is speaking ment of the Scriptural doctrine of the counsel of God.
of the counsel of God, the sufferings and death of our We may say, however, that also among the Moham-
Lord, the application of this salvation unto or the re- medans the struggle raged between predestination aj:d
ceiving of it by the sinner, he always proceeds either the freedom of the human will. Whereas m the Islam
from the living God or the impotent sinner. Man has       (the religion of Mohammed) the emphasis was laid
been attempting throughout the ages to maintain him- upon the absolute power of God and man's utter pas-
self and to deny the absolute sovereignty of  ,the living siveness, opposition arose which defended the free will
God. And this same evil attempt has been creeping of man and regarded not the power but the righteous-
into and operating within the Church from the begin- ness of God as the essence of the Lord. In the early
ning of time. In various ways. the attempt has been Christian Church, because- of heathen superstition and
made to frighten the Church of God into submission Gnosticism (the word is derived from the Greek word,
and to renounce the sublime truth that the Lord is God "to know", and refers to a sect which claimed know-
alone. And, of course, none of these attempts is char- ledge of things apart, from the Scriptures), emphasis
acterized by a desire for and an interest in the truth. was laid upon man's ethical nature and the freedom
One of the most common of these devices on the.part  of and responsibility of man. One can easily under&and
those who love not the truth of the Word of God is the that the doctrine of the counsel of God could not receive
accusation that we make God the Author of sin and its due emphasis when all attention was focused upon
strip the sinner of his responsibility.. Also this accusa- man's ethical nature and responsibility. We are, there-
tion is hypocritical. Man is neither concerned about fore, not surprised that there was little development of
God's sovereignty nor about the sinner's responsibility. this Scriptural concept until the time of Augustine.
That the former is true is perfectly obvious. Nothing        We may say, however, that this teaching of the
would or does afford the world greater delight than to freedom of `man received ever greater attention and
deprive the living God of His absolute sovereignty and finally developed into the conception which even today
authority. However, the latter is also true. We must characterizes essentially the Greek church (in distinc-
be on our guard against this apparent interest in the tion from the Latin or Western Church. The early
responsibility of the sinner. That the sinner is re- Church was split into an Eastern and a Western, the
sponsible surely means that he always stands in the Eastern becoming the Greek Orthodox and the Western
presence of the living God, that he must always dea! the Roman Catholic Church). I Man, then, was more or
with Him Who knoweth and trieth the hearts of men, less polluted by sin but remained free and could accept
that he is continuously answerable to the living God the offered grace of God. An absolute predestination
and must always give an account of-himself and all his and an irresistible grace were not taught; the counsel
actions exactly because the Lord is God alone and there- of God consisted of foreknowledge, and the resultant
fore always maintains Himself. To maintain the re- determination of punishment or reward was regarded
sponsibility of the sinner we must, therefore, advocate, as dependent upon this foreknowledge of the Lord. We
strictly, the full and unadulterated sovereignty of the should note here the striking resemblance between this
Lord. And this is exactly what the sinner does not teaching to later Arminianism, and also to the Three
want. This is exactly what he opposes  .with all the Points of 1924. We should note the development of the
powers at his disposal and command. And, therefore; teaching that man is more or less polluted by sin but
when he emphasizes the responsibility of man, he does remained free and could accept the offered grace of
not `do so because he is really interested in the main- God. We may indeed be judged by the company in
taining of this truth in the Scriptural sense of the which we historically find ourselves. The Three Points


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                    205

  of 1924 may also be judged by the company in which             God did not predestinate because of man's faith but
  they historically find themselves.                            unto faith and grace. Fact is, according to him, ail
     With Augustine, however, the ' doctrine of God's men were equal, constituted a  "massa  damnata", a
  counsel came into greater prominence.              Augustine, "damnable mass". Predestination, he taught, has  is
  Bishop of Hippo, was born in 354 and died in 430, at only cause in the sovereign will of God, in His absolute
  the age of seventy six years. Of the early Church sovereignty.                The Lord is obligated to none, could
  Fathers none has exerted greater influence within the righteously condemn all, but, according to His good
, Church since the apostles than ,Augustihe.  He was a pleasure, makes vessels of honour and of others vessels
  tremendous writer. Augustine is also held in high of dishonour. It is true that Augustine regarded repro-
  esteem by the Roman Catholic Church. The views of bation as an act of Divine righteousness. To regard
  Augustine which were developed particularly in the Divine Reprobation as an act of righteousness, we
  Middle Ages and which are to this day cherished by             understand, would imply that this Divine decree rests
  the Roman Catholic Church this Church Father ex- upon sin, and that the Lord, therefore,* reprobated the
  pressed in his controversy with the Donatists. The sinner because of his sin. According to, (Augustine,
  Donatists consisted of several contending groups which man's original sin is sufficient for his reprobation.
  had broken away from the Church. Augustine  con- However, man's actual sins do not prompt God's decree
 tended that the Church must be bound together by the of Reprobation, although they do influence the measure
  bond of love, must be one, and when we separate from of punishment. This the Church Father taught be-
  the Church we show that we lack the love. and also the         cause of what the Scriptures teach in regard to Jacob
  grace of God. If then, these Donatists remain outside and Esau. Nevertheless, although Augustine regarded
  the Church, they may have the form of Baptism but man's original sin as sufficient ground for his reproba-
  they do not have the grace of the sacrament. Augustine, tion, yet he did not consider it as its last and deepest
  therefore, labored for the unity of the Church, and is cause. In answer to the question why God rejected
  therefore highly regarded particularly from this aspect, some and elected others, he knew only one answer: the
  by the Roman Catholic Church. We esteem him, how- good pleasure and sovereign will of  God, according to
  ever, because of his  defence  of the truth, especially        Remans  9 :18. The Lord's predestination. of the elect
  against Pelagianism.                                           is always adequate, that is, is always unto salvation,
     In this connection we may briefly review the teadr-         their total-is  -sure and unchangeable. Augustine, there-
  ing of Pelagianism. Pelagius was a British monk who fore, taught the doctrine of unconditional and sovereign
  came from the British  isles and settled in Rome about predestination.
  the year 400. He attempted to raise the moral stand-              After the death of Augustine the struggle in regard
  ards of Rome, which were terrible, and appealed to to the teaching of sovereign predestination continued.
  man's natural abilities, arguing that man must be able Although Pelagianism had been officially condemned
 to do anything he ought to do. Pelagius ignored the             at the Council of Ephesus, 431, the view of Augustine
  power of sin and the utter depravity of our human was compelled to fight bitterly and strenuously for its
  nature, and.made  superfluous the regenerative grace of life and existence.          Pelagianism was substituted by
  God. Man is able of himself to do good, and Christ is          Semi-pelagianism.    Semi-pelagianism did teach that
  but an example; the Lord gives grace unto those who man's nature was corrupted by sin, but it also taught
  use their free will. Predestination, according to this that man was not dead but sick. The na;ural man was
  British monk, was nothing else than a foreknowledge like unto a sick person who could not cure himself,
  of God of the free acts and merits of men, and the re- but was able to take the medicine and long for recovery,
  sultant pre-determination of reward or punishment ; or unto one who had fallen into a pit, could not deliver
  actually, therefore, there is no predestination by God, and extricate himself, but was able to grasp the life-
  either unto grace or unto salvation ; it is wholly de-         line thrown out to him. Do we recognize this Semi-
  pendent upon the good deeds of man. This was the pelagianism with any teaching of the present day?
  teaching of Pelagius.  *-             I                        Does it 1 not recur in  %hat sickening and miserable
     Against this Pelagian heresy Augustine set himself hymn: "Throw out the life-line"? Is it not a prevalent
  with all the powers at his command.              It is surely teaching of our modern age, our present church-world
  worthy of note that Augustine attempted to defend the that man cannot save himself, must be saved by the
  freedom of the human will but was compelled to bow grace of the living ,God, but also that he can accept
 before the Scriptural teaching of the grace of God. the Lord Jesus and the salvation which is offered to
  In fact, long before the Pelagian struggle this  Church        him through the preaching of the gospel? Has not the
  Father has taught the doctrine, of predestination. His         doctrine(?) been taught in the Christian Reformed
  study of the book of Romans had led him unto this              Churches for years that every child receives at' baptism
  conviction. According to Augustine predestination did a certain grace, which does not regenerate him, but does
  not rest upon merit or worthiness but upon pure grace.         enable him to accept the salvation which in due time


 206                                 ;THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 will be offered to him, through the gospel and that by or Semi-pelagian standpoint. Only Gottsc4alk  and a
, a living God Who does not desire anyone to perish  bu"    few of his friends maintained the strictly  Rugustinia;l
 that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the view of the sovereign counsel and predestination of
 truth, and this in the strictly universal sense of the God, but his voice was soon silenced, and the result was
 word. Again we remark: a person may well be known that the heresy of Semi-Felagianism gained the upper
 by the company he keeps. This conception of a sinner, hand in the Church, which was then the Roman Catho-
 that he cannot save himself but must be saved by the lic Church. This victory of the Semi-Pelagians was
 mighty grace of God, but also <that he can accept the gained at the Synod of Quierzy, 853. Rome, or the
 offered salvation, places one in the company, historic- Roman Catholic Church, drifted farther and farther
 ally, of the semi-pelagians. And also the semi-pelagians away from Augustine and Paul. At this synod Rome
 maintained a view of the counsel of God which was adopted several noteworthy declarations, statements
 based upon foreknowledge. Let us note : also the semi-     of truth or doctrine which are worthy of our considera-
 pelagians taught a counsel of the Lord which rested tion. This synod declared, e.g., that man's free will
 upon Divine foreknowledge.                                 was indeed affected by sin in its inclinations, but that
        At the Synod of Orange, 529, the struggle between it was not wholly extinguished, and that man, before
 the Augustinian view and Semi-Pelagianism was de- justification, can perform many natural things which
 cided.     This ecclesiastical gathering decided, on the are not sinful but good. The natural man is not able
 one hand, that man is entirely corrupted by the sin to perform the good in the supernatural sense, such
 of Adam, and that both, the beginning and the continu- as faith, hope, love, justification, the meriting of eter-
 ance of faith, are not -to be ascribed to ourselves, to nal life. To obtain this he needs Divine grace, the
 our natural powers, our free will, but to the grace of intervention of the Holy Spirit. This grace is bestowed
 God. But, on the other hand, it was also declared at       upon the children of believers at their baptism, and,
 this synodical gathering that our free will was weak- with respect to the adults, this grace consists herein
 ened by sin, mind you, merely weakened by sin, that that God calls them objectively through the gospel,
 all baptized persons can and must fulfill that grace and, subjectively, touches their hearts by the  Hold,
 which they receive at baptism, by which grace they Spirit of illumination. However, this grace, although
 can help and cooperate with Christ in the things which unmerited, prevenient (which goes before, precedes)
 belong to their salvation ; besides, the synod was com- is not irresistible. Man can embrace and reject it.
 pletely silent on such matters as absolute predestina- H,ence,  Rome rejects Augustine's view of God's absolute
 tion, irresistible and particular grace. It was evident, predestination. And they also taught that Christ was
 at this synod, that the followers of Augustine and of sent in order that all might receive the adoption Oz
 his conception of unconditional and sovereign pre- children; He satisfied for all; man can accept or  rejecl
 destination were hard pressed to maintain the  Augus- grace, can retain or lose this grace of the Lord.
 tinian  view of Divine predestination. We should not          These statements of the Synod of Quierzy, 853, are
 fail to note that already at this synod mention was worthy of note and of our consideration. Who can fail
 made of a certain grace which one receives at his bap- to note the striking resemblance between these declara-
 tism and which grace enables him to help and cooperate tions of Rome and later Arminianism? We will pre-
 with the Christ. Compare this with the Heynsian con- sently have opportunity to call attention to the system
  ception of the covenant and of baptism to which we of thought as set forth by Arminius and Arminianism
 have already referred in the preceding paragraph.          when we discuss the counsel of *God as it lived in the
        This indecisiveness of the Synod of Orange, 529, hearts and minds of the  i?`athers of Dordrecht. In
 was not salutary but harmful. Compromise decisions these synodical declarations of 853 we should note that
 are never salutary. We cannot expect the blessing of the doctrine of absolute predestination as proclaimed
 the Lord when we would stand on "both  sides of the by Augustine was rejected by Rome, and that Rome
 fence." Such a person never aids the Church of the embraces a conditional predestination and foreknow-
  living God. Compromise decisions never solve any- ledge of God. Any conception that -man can either
  thing. The foes of the truth are not satisfied with accept or reject grace and salvation is a denial of God's
  them because they are not strong enough ; and the absolute predestination. Fact is, such  `a presentation
  defenders and lovers of the truth are dissatisfied be- of the truth renders the salvation as dependent upon
  cause such decisions are actually and really a repudia- man's free will, declares that he can either accept or
  tion of the truth. In the final analysis, a compromise reject it, proceeds, therefore, from the idea that the
  decision is always prompted by the fear to give full salvation of the sinner is offered to him, and that,
  expression to the sovereign truth of the Word of God. therefore, the possibility of his salvation exists. If the
  This was also ,the result of the compromise decision Lord offers all the hearers of the gospel His grace and
  of the Synod of Orange, 529. This decision was not salvation, and He is sincere in this offer, then this must
  salutary but harmful. Many stood upon the  P&g&           certainly imply that there is salvation for every sinner


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          207

to whom the offer is made. And this is, of course, a
denial of the truth of God's absolute, sovereign, and                        Correspondent33
unconditional predestinaiion.  The Lord, then, has not                                           November  2Fj, 1949
sovereignly determined who shall or shall not be saved,
but His desire to save is universal and His presentation Dear Reverend Ophoff :
is based on Divine foreknowledge. The Lord, then, has           Although not always agreeing, as to method and
determined to save those that believe. We should also content, with `that which has been written recently in
note in the above-mentioned ariicles of the Synod of the Standard Bearer, yet I have been following it with
Quierzy of 353 that man is not'able to perform good in interest. Now, it is not my purpose today to write to
the spiritual, supernatural sense, such as faith, hope, you about these things in general because I realize too
and love. He cannot justify himself or merit eternal well the truth of the words of Elihu, "I am young, and
life for himself. IJnto the performance of this spiritual, ye are very old ; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not
"supernatural" good he needs Divine grace and the shew you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and
intervention of the Holy Spirit. However, although multitude of years should teach wisdom." And there-
man's free will was indeed affected by sin in its inclin- fore professor, I rather place myself in that wellknown
ations, it was not wholly extinguished and man is able and beloved chair of the student in order to be enlight-
to perform many natural things which are not sinful ened further regarding some things that are not plain
but good. Besides, the grace of God is offered to al.1       to me.
through the gospel and it is not irresistible. Man can           My first difficulty has to do with your evaluation
embrace or reject it. Reading these declarations of of the controversy in the Netherlands. Oh, I  knew
faith one must be reminded of three other declarafions       your evaluation of the "Liberated" position is plain to
which were proclaimed by the Christian Reformed all of us, but what about the  "Synodical"? Perhaps a
Synod of I924 ; the resemblance between these Three quotations will serve to bring out my difficulties.
Points and what the Roman Catholic Church declared               For example I read in your protest to the Consistory
in 853 is surely undeniable. also in 1924 the Church of First Church found on p. 51 of the Acts of Synod
declared that man is unable to perform spiritual, last- 1949: "The truth of this statement is borne out first
ing good and that the ,Lord,  in a certain sense, is favor- by the fact of the present secession of the liberated
able to all men, which general favorable inclination of churches in the Netherlands. The deep, underlying
the Lord He reveals in the preaching of the gospel.          reason of the Leaders of,  ,the secession allowing them-
Also in 1924, therefore, the Church declared that salva- selves to be deposed was their unwillingness to sub-
tion is offered to all the hearers of the gospel, and. that scvibe   to  ou?r doctrine to the effect that the promise of
man, although incapable of any spiritual good, can the gospel is only unto the elect. And their followers
nevertheless perform in the realm of civic righteous- broke off their ecclesiastical relation with the  Synodi-
ness that which is good and pleasing in the sight of the eals for the same reason. This is the deep meaning
Lord.    Again we remark: the Christian Reformed of the present secession in the Netherlands." (I under-
Church ought  to  take inventory of the company in score, J.H.)
which she historically finds herself. And we may                 This same thought seems to be repeated in  .the
safely conclude that any conception that man can ac- Standard Bearer of November 15, p. 37, 2nd column,
cept or reject the grace of God, any conception of a 5th paragraph : "As we know, by  synodical  action in
universal salvation or offer thereof, any conception of the communion of `gereformeerde' churches in the
a Divine foreknowledge follows historically the line of Netherlands, that promises-of-God-given-only-to-the-
Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism. Roman Catholicism. elect theology was  made binding. Every office-bearer
In our following article we will call attention, the Lord was asked to express his agreement with it. Dr. Schil-
willing, to the development of this doctrine of the der and his brethren in the service-professors, minis-
counsel of God by the Reformers and the Fathers of ters, elders: and deacons-refused. Action was taken
Dordrecht.                                H. Veldman.        against them, and they were deposed in their office."
                                                                 It seems to me this same thing can be read again in'
                                                             the Standard Bearer for Nov. 1, p. 64, col. 2,  para-
                                                             graph 2 : "But the facts are well known. The doctrine
                    CLASSIS WEST                             repudiated, the `thing' that the professor actually
                                                             knows not, is the teaching that the promises of God are
meets in Hull, Iowa, March 1, 1950. Consistories, given to the elect only. And the `thing' returned to is
propose a delegate to Synod from among your elders. the teaching, the view, that the promises of God are
Remember also the commemoration meeting on the given to elect and non-elect (born in the historical line
evening before Classis.                                      of the covenant) alike-the Heynaian view, the theology
                            M. Gritters, Stated Clerk.       of the Liberated today. So the professor must not tell


20s                                     .THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

us that he knows not that `thing'. He and his brethren writing when the above quotation came from your pen.
do know that `thing' indeed. They do have a theology First on p. 62, of the Standard Bearer of Nov. 1, 3rd
of their own. It is that `thing', that teaching, that the paragraph, 2nd column, I read, "This decision was
promises of God are given to elect and non-elect alike. written in the official minutes of our three original con-
It is not ours ; it is not the Synodical's; it is theirs. . ."    sistories." By this I understand that in protesting the
    Now i.f this were all that you had written on the three points our churches through their three original
above subject I could simply put the question this way, consistories officially adopted (be it in a negative form)
"Is your position that the `Synodicals', in the recent "the covenant-theology of Rev. Hoeksema", and that
controversy  in the Netherlands, were fighting for the this was a written creed. But then 1 read again, top
pure truth of ,God's Word?" Would you also subscribe of p. 63, "As yet no one. . . .has appeared on our Synod
to their position in that struggle?                               with a written statement to the effect that the promises
       But, in view of what you write further in the last- of God are given only unto t&e elect, and overtured
mentioned quotation, "(yet it is also the Synodieal's. Synod to adopt that written credal declaration. . . .
I thin& now of their doctrine of the well-meaning offer Nor is this necessary I believe.  q .  ." Now is this
of salvation unto all)  ") (1) the question must now as- second not contradictory to the first? (3) Is our cove-
sume a slightly different form. Is it your position that nant theology something additional to the Three Forms
the "Synodicals" were fighting essentially for the pure 0s Unity? Or do I correctly reproduce your thought
truth of God's Word? Was their adoption of the theory when I state that which has always been and still is
of a well meaning offer of salvation then something my own personal position, (4) "That only Scripture
only incidental to and really opposed to their essential and the Three Forms of Unity are binding in our
struggle? Except for the theory of common grace and churches and nothing more. But that we are so con-
the well meaning offer of the gospel, would you sub- vinced that the Three Forms teach that the promises
scribe to the "Synodical" position? Perhaps I am read- of:God  are given only%o the elect that we believe they
ing more into the above quotation than is. really there. can be interpreted in no other way. . (Promises here
Therefore I come to you with these questions and with to be understood as not only the announcement of the
those following seeking light. And then I ask further : promises but the actual participation in the content
(2) How do you explain the fact that the "Synodicals" of the promises.) And therefore we exactly have noth-
speak of and approve such a doctrine as those of com- ing else that is binding, neither do we need anything
mon grace and the well meaning offer of the gospel,               further until it becomes evident that the Three Forms
while the "Vrijgemaakten" repudiate these? Must th_zs             are capable of being interpreted in another, unscrip-
be explained from the side of the  "Syno&.cals"  as a tura1 manner.. If this latter {which I do not believe
failure to see the logical outcome of their position, as a possible) were ever done then we would need and ob-
drawing of improper conclusions from a proper prem- tain an additional creed interpreting officially the parts
ise.?    Must the position of the "Vrijgemaakten"  ou             in our Three Forms not plain. I ask again,  "DO  I
these theories be explained perhaps from their oppo-              reproduce your thought here correctly?" Or is your
sit.ion  to everything "Synodical"?  Is their position position this, "That we have the Three Forms plus
also a failure to see the. logical outcome of their own something additional  ?"
position and a drawing of sound conclusions from a&                   (5) If I present your thought correctly above and I
unsound and untrue premise? In view of this how is believe I do, then I wonder what is mea&by the state-
it, to be explained that the "Vrijgemaakten" changed ment found on p. 62, the bottom of the 2nd column,
their view on common grace and the well meaning offer "Further the theology in question has been spread,
in recent years?                                                  so to speak over the pages of the mass  of literature pro-
       I ask you these questions because as you know  al- duced by Rev. Hoeksema through the years; and most
thouih I attempt .to read the Holland, yet it is difficult of it has been officially adopted by our Synods for disi
for me, I read it slowly and laboriously and therefore tribution." Now, I take it for granted, that we all
cannot give the  careful,attention  to these matters that agree with what Rev. Hoeksema has written in the past
you can. Now with regard to the other matter about at  ieast in all the essential points. Nor is this my diffi-
which I have some questions and desire some informa- culty in understanding your point here. But this sta!;e-
tion, allow me to begin by saying that I am fully in ment is written in connection with the point that we
agreement with what you write, "that the promises  sf have a written, binding, covenant-theoloLgy. What does
God are given only to the elect is, according to our firm- "officially adopted by our Synods for distribution"
est conviction, the plain teaching of our three Forms of mean? Does this mean that when our Synod decides
Unity." When you say elsewhere that this truth is to publish or to print, or  to underwrite the publishing
written in our hearts I also agree fully. But frankly, of a work of Rev. Hoeksema (or any other man) the
I have a little difficulty in understanding this matter entire content of such a publication becomes Church
of written and unwritten creeds about which you were Doctrine, Creed and therefore binding in all our  church-


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        209

es? If this were actually the implication of "adopted only, to the believers, the penitent, the contrite of heart.
for distribution" then I for one would never favor such The water of baptism also as sprinkled upon the  non-
distribution-not because I do not agree with what elect, proclaims salvation to the believers and to them
Rev. `Hoeksema or some other man may have written only. And this water, or rather the promises of God
or does write, but because the whole thing is too danger- imposed upon that water, does not cease to utter  thfit
ous and smacks too much of theological-strait-jacke:-      joyful sound when and because it is sprinkled upon
ism. Neither do I believe that you mean this. But you the non-elect. Thus baptism is always valid, real, not
see, professor, I don't know what you mean here. Could alone because it seals, always seals, the promises OP God
you explain for me what the implication of "officially unto the elect, but for still another reason. It declares
adopted by our Synod for distribution" really is?          to the unbelievers; the despisers of the Christ and  His
   Because I believe some of these questions to be vital benefits of which baptism is a sign, that they are
and all to be interesting not only to me but to all our damned in their unbelief.
people, I would appreciate your placing this letter to-       Now the synodicals do not admit, of course, that
gether with its answer in the Standard Bearer.             their view of baptism reduces this sacrament to a mere
   As 1 look over this letter it seems to me that I have appearance as often as it is administered to the non-
almost exceeded the bonds of courtesy as far as the        elect. They imagine to be avoiding this  ditllculty  by
length of this letter is concerned. It may also be that their so-called doctrine of pre-supposed regeneration.
I have forgotten here and there to be like Elihu but if They simply suppose that every child presented for
I have I can only plead my impetuosity which you know baptism is an elect and regenerated. But their diffi;
so well and which I hope you will forgive.                 culty remains. The difficulty can be removed only by
                     Your brother in Christ,               baptizing on the ground that the child 6s actually re-
                                   James Howerzyl.         generated. But, of course, the Synodicals affirm no
                                                           such thing, knowing as they do that all are not Israel
R&p&%                                                      who are of Israel. So the fact is that their view of
Dear Brother:                                              baptism necessarily involves them in the teaching of
                                                           two kinds of baptism: a real and an unreal. And of
    (1) If I understand what I have read of the Synodi-    this they are constantly being reminded by the Liber-
cals, their official doctrine contains also the following ated.
two propositions: a) The promises of God are given            Second, needless to say, I do not subscribe that  well-
only to the elect. b) The promises of God are uncon- meaning-offer-of-salvation-unto-all doctrine of the
ditional. These doctrines I believe to be soundly scrip- Synodicals.
tural, so that, in championing these doctrines, the           Thirdly, needless also to say is that I do not sub-
synodicals champion the truth.                             scribe their common grace theory, which is that of the
   Now you ask, "Is it your position that the  "Synod-     late Dr. A. Kuyper Sr.
icals" were fighting essentially for the truth of God's       2) Your question which I inditiated  by the number
Word." I have difficulty here with that word "essen-       (2) is a difficult one. I really can't answer it, and this
tially", as an element in your sentence. What you for the simple reason that I cannot look into the heart
mean to be asking here I believe is whether I subscribe of man and know his thoughts and motives. God alone
all that the synodicals teach, pronounce Scriptural and knows the heart. All I can go by is what-man does
sound their whole official theology as to every one of its and speaks and writes. It's  hard, enough for me to
tenets. To the question so put my answer is : No. I do know what men mean by their words, their spoken
not. But I believe that the doctrine contained in the      and written words. When I believe that I have suc-
two above-cited propositions is, as was stated, sound ceeded therein, they write in to tell me that I don't
doctrine.                                                  even know the A, B, C, of their theology. So by all
   To begin with, I do not subscribe the following means. let me refrain from trying to peer into men's
doctrine of the sacrament of baptism of theirs. It is souls to know their unexpressed thoughts.
this: Baptism to be valid and real must seal regenera-        You say that the "vrijgemaakten" repudiate these,
tion in every infant presented for baptism. But to my namely, the doctrines of common grace and of the well-
mind this is an impossible teaching in the light of the meaning offer. I know that Dr. Schilder repudiates
Scriptures. Were it true, it would mean that the sacra- the doctrine of common grace. But can this be said of
ment of baptism, as administered to the-non-elect in- all the Liberated or even of the majority of them? I
fant, is devoid of reality, is a pretense, a vain show.    don't know.
But, certainly, baptism is never that. It is real also        3) Now your question indicated by (3). Allow me
when administered to the non-elect infant (or adult). to restate your question thus: Is the doctrine that
And the reason is simple. Baptism is a sign and a sea! the promises of God are given only to the elect and
of the promises of God unto the elect ,and to the elect therefore unconditional, something additional to the


210                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                 I
                          .-.-
 Three Forms? Reply. No. That doctrine is the very eeuwig. Dan geen zingen en loven, maar dan weening
 teaching of these Forms. So we officially declared en knersing der tanden.
 when at the beginning of our career as Protestant                    Wat een begin !    Looft  den Heere ! Er is geen
 Reformed Churches we officially rejected the Three bezigheid die ook maar vergeleken kan worden  met di:
 Points including the Heynsian tenet to the effect that begin van den psalm. Ge  looft  God als ge Hem kent,
 the promises of God are given to all.                             als ge Zijn grootheid, lieflijkheid, groote kracht en
       4) That is correct. Only Scripture and the Three wijsheid gadeslagen hebt. Ziet ge dat, dan breekt ge
 Forms of Unity are binding in our midst and nothing uit in lieflijken zang, gelijk de huidige dichter.
 more. Certainly, we do not have the Three Forms plus                 Laat ons hem op den voet volgen.
 something else.                             .                        En dan zult ge een beschrijving lezen van den
       5) Yes, I did speak of our officially binding cove-         mensch die den Heere vreest, en daarom zeer geluk-
f nant- theology. By the expression "covenant-theology" kig is.
 I had reference only to the doctrine that the promises               Het is een psalm die uit 22 clausulen bestaat; elk
 of God are given unto to the elect. For reasons cited             een van die clausulen begint met een van de 22 He-
 above, this doctrine is officially binding even apart breeuwsche letters van het alphabet.
 from Rev. Hoeksema's writing adopted for distribu-                   "Welgelukzalig is de man die den HEERE  vreest".
 tion.                                                                Wie is de HEERE?
       And now those writings of Rev. Hoeksema. Synod                 De HEERE is de  VerbondsGod  van het volk Israel.
 o%5a~ly  adopted them for distribution.. Thereby Synod Het is de liefste  naam' van Gods. Als er van dien
,officially  subscribed the doctrine contained in them. jongen gezegd werd, dat hij den NAAM uitdrukkelijk
 Synod certainly did not declare by that act of adoption vloekte, in Lev.  24:11,  dan  is dat duidelijk voor ieder
 the following: Whether the doctrine set forth in these Israeliet. Dan heeft die buitengewoon goddelooze jon-
 writings are truth or lie we know not ; but despite this gen den naam van Jehovah gevloekt. En dat was daar-
 ignorance on our part, we nevertheless adopt them for om goddeloos, omdat door dien naam God Zich geopen-
 distribution.       No other stand is possible but the stand baard had in Zijn eeuwig verbond. Hij had wederom
 that in adopting the writings in question for distribu- gedacht  aan Zijn genade: Israel' was verlost uit het
 tion, Synod officially sanctioned the doctrine contained diensthuis van Egypte.              Als we  denken   aan Gods
 in them. I will answer your remaining questions in wondere trouw dan zeggen we onwillekeurig: 0 Jeho-
 the next issue of our paper.                     G. M. Ophoff.    vah ! Als we opblikken naar het ontzaglijke groote
                                                                   gewelf boven onze hoofden,  en weten mogen, dat we in
                          -m-                                      dien vreeselijk grooten oceaan van het blauw een bood-
                                                                   schap beluisteren van Gods. trouwe liefde, dan zeggen
              S I O N ' S   ZANGEN                                 we: 0 Jehovah!
                                                                      De HEERE is de ,God die ons wonderen  op `won-
                                                                   deren doet hooren. Het is de God die zelfs Zijn Eigen
            Zalig Is Den Heeren Vrees                              Zoon niet spaarde op den weg van die trouw,  aan Israel
                                                                   nooit gekrenkt ! Dit slaan al de einden van het aardrijk
                      (Psalm 112 ;, Eerste Deel)                   gade, nu onze God Zijn heil ons schenkt.
                                                                      Als ge in den Bijbel de voetstappen van dien
       H a l l e l u j a h   !                                     HEERE gadeslaat, dan dringt de vraag in U om een
       Wat een begin !                                             antwoord : wie zou dien HEERE niet loven en vreezen?
       Looft  den Heere !                                             Dien HEERE te vreezen wil zeggen, dat ge Hem
       Het groote einde van het heelal  !                          mint, en dat ge in die min beeft en siddert vanwege
       Ten spijt van duivelen en alle boosheid, zal tech het den indruk die  zulk een aanminnigen God op Uw hart
 einde de lof des Heeren zijn. Zooals wij de dingen  som-          maakt.    Het is het sidderen en beven van ontzag.
 tijds gadeslaan schijnt het  we1 alsof de boosheid  zege-         Want in al Zijn deugden is Hij geweldig. En daar
 viert, en dat de man die het kwade werkt  succes heeft komt dan bij het vragen, het vragen in groote  ver-
 Maar meer dan schijn is het niet. Zelfs nu, in deze wondering: wie ben ik, o God ! dat Gij U nederbuigt
 bedeeling, is dat zoo niet. Als we slechts een blik tot mij die stof en asch  ben?
 konden slaan in de  harten der menschen, der engelen                 Zulk een mensch is welgelukzalig.
 en der duivelen, zouden we duidelijk kunnen zien, dat                 Zalig  te zijn wil zeggen, dat ge vol zijt van alles
 de blijdschap gevonden wordt alleen in den dienst des wat ge naar Uw  wezen  behoeft. En Uw nooddruft is
 Heeren, en die dienst is niet dan het loven van God. allereerst God te mogen bezitten als Uw deel in  eeuwig-
 Looft  God, en ge zijt zalig. Dat leert de psalm. En heid.  Hem te mogen kennen is dan vol te zijn. Van
 ook dit: zijt goddeloos, en ge zult Uw beeld vinden in            God geleerd te zijn is verzadiging van vreugde.
 het laatste vers : ge zult knarsetanden, en vergaan voor
       .                                                               Zulke ervaring is gelukkig. Ge zijt dan vol van


212                                    THE,   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

dingen  ontvangen hebt. Sommigen vermenigvuldigen                  En die zegen is overstroomend. Ik kan er niet .bij.
dwaasheid met dwaasheid, en zeggen : God gaf de  zege- ,Stelt het  U voor: alles is zegen voor dat volk.  Het
ningen, maar wij veranderen ze in een vloek ! Klink- maakt geen verschil wat of hoe, alles is een zegen v,) J *
lare onzin: een zegen wordt nooit een vloek, kan niet hen.            Paulus roept triumfantelijk uit: Indien God
veranderd worden  in een vloek, want God verandert voor ons is, wie zal tegen ons zijn? En het lijstje dat
niet!  Let er  tech op: als ge het woordje zegen  uit- hij opnoemt houdt vreeselijke dingen in. Zelfs als de
spreekt, hebt ge gesproken van God  .in  actie!  Een dood komt kloppen, met zijn bloed en tranen en lijden.
zegen is de xegenende God die in groote liefde Zich             In al die dingen zijn wij meer dan overwinnaars, en die
nederbuigt naar het object, en hem iets  toeschikt.             dingen  kunnen ons nooit scheiden van Gods liefde in
Zegen zit niet in de dingen,  maar in God die de dingen         Jezus Christus.
schenkt ! En dan maakt het eigenlijk geen verschil                 Last ons terugkeeren tot de oude paden,  en weer
wat die dingen  zijn, hoe groot of hoe klein de hoeveel-        leeren  Bijbelsch te spreken en te xinga!
heid der dingen  zijn. pals God U in de dingen  zegent,                                                       G. vos.
                                                                                                                    _
dan is kanker in de maag een zegen.
       Dit is de Schriftuurlijke gedachte van den zegen:
als alle dingen  U medewerken te goede ! Het is een
zegen om het leven te ontvangen hier op aarde als Uw                                Yes or No
naam geschreven staat in het boek des levens des Lams.
Als Uw naam niet in dat boek staat, ware het beter                 In the Standard Bearer, Jan. 15, 1950, the Revs.
geweest indien ge nooit geboren waart. En nu  be- Kok and De Jong attempt to clear themselves by
hoeven  we niet verder tte gaan, want als het zoo staat         quoting two telegrams they have received from the
met het Ieven, dan is het zeker  zoo met de dingen  die         Netherlands. But their attempt to clear themselves
met het leven geschonken worden.                                ends in complete failure. These telegrams do not deny
       En nu komt er nog grooter ketterij bij als we gaan that they made the statements ascribed to them in the
zeggen, dat het een zegen is voor de verworpenen om letter of Prof. Holwerda.
het Evangelie te hooren verkondigen. Zooals eener                  Prof. Holwerda, and the other brethren who signed
hunner  zich uitdrukte: Het Evangelie bedoelt een these telegrams, are now simply giving their own inter-
blijde boodschap te zijn voor alle menschen die onder pretation to the letter of Prof. Holwerda. They do
hetzelve komen !                                                not say that the Reverends Kok and De Jong never
       Terwijl de Heilige  Schrift  heel. duidelijk leert, dat made these statements.
het beter ware geweest indien sommigen nooit geboren               The question, did Rev. Kok and Rev. De Jong say
waren  geweest.                                                 these things, can only be answered by yes or no.
       Maar laat ons een Bijbelsch voorbeeld gebruiken.            In the telegram signed by the four professors, Holy
Wat zou Judas U te zeggen hebben, als ge hem zoudt werda  virtqmlly  tries to say, no, they did not say these
vragen: Is het een zegen voor U geweest om zoo dicht things. In his original letter he says, yes, they did
bij Jezus te verkeeren gedurende Zijn omwandeling op say these things. Now which of these two statements
aarde? Is Jezus voor U een zegen geweest? Ik denk, of Prof. Holwerda is the truth? If his letter, written
dat niemand Judas zulk een dwaze vraag zou durven to one of the immigrants in Canada, is not true, why
doen.  Men weet bij voorbaat hoe vreeselijk die  oht-           doesn't he tell us so, rather than to give us an entirely
moeting voor Judas geweest is ; een ,ontmoeting  die hij        different interpretation of it in this telegram.
tot in alle eeuwigheden beweenen  zal: Alles  aan Jezns            Rev. Hoeksema writes in the Standard Bearer of
was lieflijk, en als een goddelooze  dicht.  bij .dien lief-    Sept. 15, 1949, page 518, that "in view of the fact that
lijken Jezus komt, kan hij niet  doen-dan  Hem  verwer- the statements in the letter of Prof. Holwerda were so
pen. Daardoor bewijst hij wat God van.hem sprak in very definite" it will be necessary for the Reverends
het begin der historie, daardoor openbaart hij zijn Kok and De Jong to give a public account of themselves
inwonend verderf, wordt zijn  schuld grooter, en wordt in the Standard Bearer and give a clear and unequivo-
God gerechtvaardigd in Zijn oordeel.               I            cal answer to the eleven questions he puts to them.
       Neen, de goddeloozen worden  niet gezegend op de They have not done so as yet. And as long as they'd0
aarde.                                                          not do this, they do not clear themselves in any way.
  Wat dan? Zij  worden  vervloekt.                              They will either have to deny or affirm the statements,
       Waarom kan dit geslacht zulke Bijbelsche taal niet made by Prof. Holwerda. The answer must be either
meer  staan? Zegt de Spreuken-dichter niet, dat de yes or no.
vloek des Heeren in het huis des goddeloozen is?                   Even the light that these brethren try to shed on
Spr.  3%. Wie kan daar nu  tech een zegen van this matter by the "Two Tel~egrams" in the Standard
maken? Maar he! geslacht der oprechten zal gezegend Bearer  of Jan. 15, 1950, still demands an unequivocal
worden.                                                         yes or no,                                   D. Jonker.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     213

                                                             For we are sure, that by the sanctifying grace of
               FROM HOLY WRIT                             God, such a better understanding of what Paul here
                                                          states concerning our natural depravity, will enable
                                                          us to gauge our thoughts in the light of the perfect
   Exposition of Ephesians kl-3                           law of liberty against which "`even the smallest inclina-
                                                          tion or thought. . . .shall never rise in our hearts".
                      (continued)                         Heid. Cat. Qu. 113.
                                                             To our mind it may be deemed as being exegetically
   In this instalment in the series of articles of Eph. established, that in. the phrase "among whom we all
1 :l-3 we hope to finish our expository studies on this had our conversation. . .  ." the translation "among
passage. Not that we could not write more on it, but whom" gives the correct sense as intended by the
we trust that what we thus contribute will aid our apostle and expressed in the Greek original.               It is
readers in some measure to appreciate their great true that the original (en hois) may also be translated
heritage in Christ; to see by the strength of the en- "in which". Should this be the translation then the
lightenment of the heart, and that by way of contrast,    relative pronoun  `Lwhich"  would not refer to the  "sons
what is the exceeding greatness of the power of God of disobedience" (vs. 2) but to the phrase "sins and
in Christ to us who believe, in raising us out of such a trespasses" in verse 1.
great death with Him into heavenly places.                   However, we believe that the antecedent noun here
  And we trust that what we intend to discuss in this     is "sons of disobedience", and that, therefore, the
final article on these verses will still be a substantial translation "among whom" is correct. `In the first
contribution to that knowledge in Christ. For Paul is place because in the Greek "sons of disobedience" is
here not adding an unnecessary detail,but  he is adding in the masculine gender, and sois the pronoun `"hois",
`an important element, which is necessary for our that is "whom", while the phrase "trespasses and
prayerful reflection. Paul is here still speaking of sins" is in the feminine gender. Secondly, because it
our awful depravity, of our being "dead by reason of is the more natural antecedent one naturally expects
our trespasses and sins". However, in this last part the relative pronoun to refer to the nearest noun. And,
(verse 3) he really underscores two elements, which what is the most conclusive reason of all, is, that the
were already implied in the former verses, but which limiting clause "in the lusts of our flesh'" refers direct-
are not so prominently set forth.                         ly to the sins and trespasses, and that therefore, it
   Before we state which  ,these  two elements are we would be confusing to refer us by this relative pronoun
will here quote this third verse, so that both you as to "sins and trespasses" once more.
reader and I as the writer know what we are discuss-         No, that .relative  pronoun here refers to "sons of
ing. Paul writes here: "Among whom we also all once disobedience", to those who are in their whole life and
lived in the iust of our flesh, doing the oksires  of the conduct disobedient, unpersuasive, rebellious ; in whom
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of every word and command of God brings out nothing
`wrath, even as the resP'. (verse 3)                      but obstinate rebellion. In them is no good at all, for
   Now, when we look at this verse rather closely, we they never seek out God. That they are estranged
notice that Paul here has two main points of difference from the life of God is manifest in the last  jota, in the
in mind. In this verse he speaks, first of all in the     extremity of their existence and walk. Children of
first  person, and in the  plural  mumber.   Instead of unpersuasiveness they are.
speaking of "ye" he says "we". And not only does             Now, we formerly had our walk with them. We
Paul here speak of "we" but he also makes this "we"       went in and out among them.. Our whole life was
universally true of the whole believing Church, whether intertwined with theirs, it was all of one fabric. It
they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free, barbarian or was not merely so that we were unavoidably cast into
Scythian. We "all" once walked among the "rest of the same world with them in the sense that the Chris-
men" in the power of sin and under the Prince of this tian cannot wholly avoid having natural contacts with
world. The second prominent element here is, that fornicators in this world. Of this latter Paul speaks in
Paul works out more. in detail just wherein this being I Cor. 5:9-11. There he tells the Corinthian converts,
"dead by reason of our trespasses and sins" consists; the believers, that they must not mingle with those who
he works out exactly how this depravity shows itself sell their body for lusts. These must in no wise be
concretely in the sinful life of each believer in their their chosen associates. The adage holds also here:
former state and walk, and. how we can therein see tell me who your friends are and- I will tell you who
that we were indeed the "children of wrath" even as you are. Now, Paul adds here that it will be impos-
"the rest".                                               sible to wholly avoid. contact with fornicators, else one
   ,Let us try to understand a little more in detail must go out of the world. So there is an unavoidable
what this implies.                                        contact in this world. But that contact is quite other

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

 from the "going in and out" with the world, which that this is simply taught us here in Holy Writ and it
 formerly was the case with the saints in Ephesus. is verified in the experience of every man. Oh, those
 From the viewpoint of their natural disposition and thoughts! Who can discern his errors, pleads the
 walk they were then "world", pure and simple. They Psalmist, cleanse Thou me from secret faults (sins).
 were just like these sons of disobedience ; they too were Let the words of my mouth and the medi:ation  of my
 "children of wrath".          For disobedience brings the heart be acceptable in Thy sight, 0 Lord, my strength
 wrath and holy disfavor of God from heaven. And and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19)
 all that was in us evoked this wrath of God! Nay, it                 Yes, lusts and thoughts, are closely related and they
 did not evoke the hatred of God, but that was not due together have a will, or rather, they desire certain
 to the la,& of disobedience, but this is only due to the concrete ways, which are contrary to God.
 sovereign determination in everlasting love to save.                 That we did. We ezecuted  this in life, says Paul.
 But "by nature" children of wrath we were.                        Yes, we  aU did by nature. And, even now this law of
        We were just like the rest!                                sin in our members often takes us captive. And, if we
    God looked from heaven to see if any understood.               are honest in our spiritual inventory, we will say:
_ And there was not one. No, not one!                              I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no
        Here is the condemnation not merely of "the Phari- good. The law is holy and righteous and good, but I
 see" pictured in Jesus' parable. Him, there in the am carnal, sold under sin? Always this old master of
 parable, it is easy again in pharisaistic self-righteous- sin wants again to take over the reins in our life. It
 ness to condemn. To say that self-righteousnes is ter- wishes to rule in our body. And by grace we pray
 rible, and to condemn this most profusely is an easy "that since we are so weak in ourselves, that we cannot
 matter. But to understand that thus you and I cannot stand for a moment; and besides this since our mortal
 even stand before God ; yes, in joyful thankfulness and enemies, the devil, the world and our  flesh,  cease not to
 still in deep contrition of heart to confess that such is assault ( !) us, do thou therefore preserve and  streng-'
 our picture, our actual state and condition by nature, then us by the power of thy Holy Spirit, that we may
 that is another matter.                                           not be overcome in this spiritual warfare, but constant-
        Yes, we too walked "in the lust of our flesh,  doing ly and strenuously may resist our foes, till at last we ob-
 the will of the flesh and of the mind". We all did, says tain a complete victory."
 Paul.                                                                Oh, I know Paul is speaking of what we were prior
        Here the apostle lifts the veil on the inner depravity.    to faith in and obedience to the Son of God, but a little
 Here is the valley of the dry bones. Here is the inner inventory on what we a& now will verify in our own
 part of the cup that must be cleansed. Here is strik- mind the unshakeable truth of what we were  then!
 ing corruption in the Holy nostrils of God. The gusts                Yes, we were just like  the rest. We were just like
 of the flesh? Lusts are  misdirected  desires of the will the rest of men : extortioners, unjust, adulterers, publi-
 when measured by the perfect law of God. If this cans and sinners!
 latter be forgotten, namely, that "the least desire                  We all were so, says Paul. Yes, Paul means: such
 against any of God's commandments never even rise were ~11 the saints in Christ Jesus. Of these Paul is
 in our hearts"-I say, if that be forgotten, or what is here speaking. He is not here speaking of himself
 worse, be denied, then there are no lusts and then what and all the Jewish-Christians, but he is standing here
 the Scriptures denote are being lusts are merely nat- speaking in the first person among all the saints,
 ural self-expressions with which we must not tamper. whether they be Jew or ,Gentile,  bond or free, man or
 But we, who believe the. Word of God, know that woman. It makes no difference: we all were thus.
 "lusts" are nothing else but misdirected desires, de-                Yes, Paul in the front row. He calls himself the
 sires contrary to the perfect law of God. And the chief of sinners. God made an example of him. He,
 most common expression of these is in our flesh. Now the proud pharisee, as to the righteousness of the  law
 it is true, that  lusts.are  not limited to the sensuous is blameless. But when the grace of God is revealed in
 most often on the foreground. Adam and Eve im- him: he asks on the road to Damascus  : Lord, what
 mediately perceived that they were naked when they wouldest Thou have me to do? How Paul here prayed
 had eaten of the forbidden tree.                                  for mercy ! He smote upon his breast, and did not
        However, lusts are such that they. reveal themselves dare to raise his eyes ! He, the man perfect according
 as being rooted in a conscious purpose.            Paul here to the righteousness of the law, now says: my sins,
 speaks of the "things willed of the flesh and of the Lord, are more than I can count. Oh, remember not
 mind".       Recently a brother asked me-asked me as the sins of my youth. And he received mercy. (II Cor.
 though it were a doubtful matter, whether most of our 4 : 1; I Tim. 1: 13). And he became the medium through
 sins were not perpetrated with the "thoughts". Now whom Christ might show all His longsuffering for an
 of this latter there should be no question at all to the example of them that should thereafter believe on him
 enlightened saint. And that for the very simple reason unto eternal life !


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   But Paul does more here than make a personal all have a printed copy of His Word in our homes. To
confession.     He is here writing in the name of God the pure all things are pure. And all things are ours
the Father and His Son by the Holy Spirit. And we for Christ's sake. But who is ready to deny that the
are here placed next to Paul, we who have heard and printing press has today become one of the chief tools
believed the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. of the devil? His work is far easier today than it was
And our name is : redeemed sinners !                               before the invention of this marvelous machine where-
   I read in the gospel narrative : And all the publicans          by the thoughts of man may be transferred to paper
and sinners came to Him.                                           and may be duplicated by the thousands in only a few
   We, too, are in that group, and now His love is only moments of time. And he certainly has made use of
sweetness.                                         G. Lubbers.     that invention of man. He will do all he can with it to
                                                                   keep man from praising God. To a very great extent
                                                                   he has also done this.
                            -"-.- .,.. ".-_-                 --        Nor are we convinced that the child of *God must
               I N   H I S   F E A R                               shut himself up and never consult the published news-
                                                                   paper or listen to the broadcast of the news over his
                                                                    radio. In fact we believe that it'would be sin for the
               Called To His Praise                                prophet of God to do so and would surely hinder him
                                                                    in his praise to God. Are we not told to watch as well
That Wonderful Gift--Used and A bused. (cont.)                     as to pray? Has God not given us signs of the return
   We called your attention last time to the fact that of Christ for which we must look? Earthquakes in
we can praise God only because He has created us with divers places, wars and rumors of wars, the arrival
a most wonderful mind whose powers enable us to of the antichrist and of Gog and Magog are things
function as prophets. And by His grace and the work for which we should look. And observing their ap-
of regeneration through His Spirit as well as through proach, appearance and occurance we can praise God
ihe instrumentality of His Word, we can be prophets for His faithfulness and thank Him for His grace in
of the Living God. In this connection we also began to showing us these signs-for the signs are  for  the
call your attention to the great evil of closing our minds          Church.  ,And is it not also striking how much the
to that Word, thus abusing both our minds and the saints in both the Old Testament and in the New Testa-
prophetic office. It makes no difference whether one ment times knew about the ungodly worId round about
misuses ones mind in the prophetic office of all believ- them? How many of the prophets in the Old Testa-
ers or whether one does so in the special prophetic ment make mention of the ungodly kings that were
offices of being a Minister of the Word of God, in the reigning at the time of their  phophecy.  Indeed this
measure that the mind is. closed to the Word of God,                gives us the historical setting and indicates the time
in that measure one will fail in one's calling to praise when the prophecy was spoken, yet the point is here
God from Whom all blessings flow. We like to con- that these men knew about things outside the narrow
tinue with this thought today.                                      confines of Canaan where the Church of God was in the
   The man who sleeps while the Word of God is being Old Dispensation. Notice too how Luke knew about
proclaimed on the Sabbath is not the only prophet who the ungodly rulers round about Canaan and  indica'  es
puts his mind in cold storage and misuses it. Sad to to us that the taxing-or registration-demanded  by
say, but a sign of the times in which we live is also the Caesar did not take place until the days of Cyrenius
worldly magazine craze which crowds out the reading the governor,. Note too how in detail he goes in chap-
and study of God's Word, the reading of religious                   ter t.hree to tell us that Pontius Pilate was governor
material and even the faithful preparation for the cate- of Judea; Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother
chism class and society discussion. You find homes Philip was tetrarch of  Iturea, and Lysanias the tetrarch
today that are cluttered up with this magazine publish- of Abiline. We believe that God has given us minds
ed by the world and that magazine that reeks with the as well as eyes which serve, these minds, to read the
moralism and philosophy of an unregenerated world, printed page and to learn of the things which HE is
of a world steeped in sin and dedicated to the praise doing round about us in this wide creation.
of men. The proportion of religious literature to which                But we are also convinced that there is a host of
some families subscribe is not even fifty-fifty, but the printed page that is not only worthless and ought never
magazines of the world far outnumber those of a re- to find its way in our homes, but is positively the means
ligious character or else are to be found there to the              whereby the devil strives to seduce and to crowd out
exclusion of anything that even professes to have a' of our lives the Word of God. There are a few maga-
religious character.                                                zines devoted entirely to news and news analysis.
   Of course, we appreciate the printing press. It cer- There are also a few magazines that are definitely edu-
tainly also was a gift of God to His Church. Today we cational in bringing to our minds, by the primed word

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

and by pictures, things  `God has placed in this creation world propogates its philosophies and prepares the way
we shall never be able to visit and to see with our own for the antichrist, and then are so loathe to part with
eyes but which, when read and seen by the believer,           two or three dollars in order to have material enter
the prophet of God, impress him with the  majesLy,  the your home that will help you in your prophetic office.
wisdom and power of his Creator. Yet even these must ,And the sad thing is that these lines are read by so few
be read and studied as prophets of God, for even in because they cannot part with the small subscription
these the devil seeks to use men to instill in our hearts fee for this paper and have all kinds of money for
the  philosophies of the lie so that subtily we are taught    abusing their minds in exposing them to the things the
such pernicious theories as that of evolution or else the godless world produces.
moralism of antichristianity, so that democracy is con-          At the same time we wish to remark about that
fused and identified with Christianity, to mention only other method of filling our minds with what the silly,
one such unscriptural idea.                                   foolish, sinful, lustful world produces, and so close our
   The readers of these lines undoubtedly know which minds to ,the sobering truth of God's Word. I mean
magazines which must not be found in our homes-               that method which makes use of our ears instead of our
even though they are !. They are those you hide some eyes, namely, the radio. And at present they are even
place when you expect the pastor and an elder to come combined in the television set. The prophet of God
for family visitation. As though you were a prophet of does not spend his or her day listening to all the non-
the consistory rather than of the All-seeing and All-         sense  of soap-operas and programs of foolishness which
knowing God ! And how many of the Lord's days are depraved men and women who know nothing of our
not devoted to sucking up into your mind all the cheap, misery but rather in their programs reflect their evil
mundane things which are produced by the world ? philosophy of "let us eat, drink and be merry, for to-
And this refers not only to magazines but to book-form morrow we die." The prophet of ,God  says with David,
novels, and other forms of reading which are purely the prophet of Jehovah, "Let the words of my mouth
for entertainment. The Sabbath was not given us for and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy
that reason. And we ought not to encourage our child- sight, 0 Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." The
ren to curl up on a Sunday afternoon with just any prophet of God appreciates this wonderful faculty God
book or magazine. That day is given the prophet of has given him. Let us ask again, Christians-are we?
God so that he may have.time and opportunity to exer-            You see, say what you will, ,those who close their
cise his prophetic office to a greater degree than the minds to God's Word and to the truth as it is explained
many toils of his every day life follow him during the and `expounded in religious literature, will be lax in
week. The Sabbath is not a day hemmed in and bound- their praising of God. And you can see it too in their
ed by all kinds of high and thick walls. But it is a day walk of life. Those whose minds are seldom in contact
when we are free to serve God. And so the prophet             with God's Word, let us say in contact only in the
of God ought to use it. On that day he must use his divine services upon the Sabbath, and have them wide
mind for the enrichment of his spiritual life in the way open all week and the remainder of the Sabbath for
of increasing in knowledge and appreciation of the            reading and listening to what the world has to say,
truth. He and the little prophets that brighten his these seldom SAY anything about God. And the song;;
home should especially function in this phase of their which praise God even sound flat to them. They mu&
office upon the Sabbath. In our first installment under have lilting tunes and words which praise man. Dis-
the general heading "`Called To His Praise", we asked cuss the truth they cannot. Discuss the works of men,
the question in our sub-heading, "`Christians-Are they are full of it. Let us rightly understand, called to
We?" The answer for our own encouragement lies God's praise means that we are called to use our minds
also here. How is your mind employed upon the Sab- and their servants the eyes and ears as God's prophets.
bath outside the house of prayer? How in your own                                                                        J. A. Heys.
house? And the article of Mr. Wildeboer. of Hamilton                                        * * *  *'
in the last Standard Bearer certainly strikes a note that
is pleasing to our ears  and mind. One could almost                                  ANNIVERSARY
wish that it had-also been written in English for our            Mr. and Mrs. B. G. Stegink  (Windemuller), `Holland, Michigan,
people. And the same thing may be applied to our celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, January  20.
other publications. Read them ! Study them! Discuss              Sincere congratulations on your anniversary.
                                                                The years  you've  spent  together are but happy memories.
them ! And-let me anticipate a little-as king in your           As down life's  aathway   ~cm proceed  with those who Iove
home as well as prophet, insist upon the same for your              you dear;         -       -     "     ^
family! And as priest of your family you ought to be            God bless you,  and be with you both throughout advanc-
                                                                    ing years.
ashamed of your self if you can pay $10 a year or more                                                         1 Jack
without a complaint for the magazines where the                                                                 Jsla
                                                                                                                Paul


