        VOLUME XXVII                                ,January 15, 1951 - Grand Rapids, Mich.                                   NUMBER 8
                                                                                  van wat ? Vernieuwing tot wat? en Vernieuwing: wat ~
                                                                                 is onze verhouding tot die grootheid?
                      lMEDj[TAT~I.Q~~.                                                             ;..m-                       a                  `.
                                                                                                                "                            :
                                                                                      Eerst dan : Vernieuwing van wat?
               De  Vernieuwiug   filler  Dingen  - * Het Nieuwe Jaar ! Wat een hopen en verwachten.
                                                                                  Wat een rijkhalzend uitzien naar verlossingen van al-
                         "Maar wij  verwachten, naar Zijne  belofte,  nieuwe      lerlei aard en vorm.                _
                        hemelen en eene nieuwe aarde, in dewelke  gerechtig-          Wij en de onzen, onze magen en buren en bekenden,
                        heid  woont."                                             onze wereld rondom ons, wij allen hunkeren vaak naar
               . .                                           II  Pet;.  3:13.     het komende. En dan.zal het beter gaan.               '
           Wel, we zijn -den nacht doorgekomen, en .het is nu                         Het nieuwe Jaar ! Nu zal het beter gaan, zucht de
        het nieuwe jaar 1951.                                                     zieke, de doodelijke kranke. Nu zal ik misschien beter
            Ik denk, dat duizenden en duizenden dat zeggen zul- worden. Die onder zware lasten zuchten hopen -op ver-
        len, gezegd hebben, of het gedacht hebben. En mis-                        lichting, redding uitgroote nooden. Nn zal het komen.
        schien hebben zij er bij gezegd : nu zal het beter gaan,                      En zegt nu niet," dat wij als Kerk van  Christus
        11~1.  za1.O  het beter  worden.  We beginnen een nieuwe                  anders zijn. Dat zijn we niet van nature.  ,Ook wij
        bladzijde van oils leven, en we zullen het nu er beter koesteren vaak ijdele hoop en verwachtingen. Ja, ver-
        af brengen !                                                              wachtingen van het aardsche.
            Wat ijdele illusie..                                                      Ons duistere hart bedriegt ons vaak. En dan wil
            Ik zou hier willen vragen : wat is er van terecht ge-                 dat hart andere goden najagen, goden  die zullen helpen
        komen in bet jaar, -dat voorbijsnelde? Dat was toeh                       en verlossen. Daar is de `god van menschelijke kracht
        ook eens een niehw jaar?  Zijn we  er beter op  ge-                        en genie. Of de god van geld en goed. ,Of de god van
        worden?. Is er iets dat waarlijk nieuw is gekomen in                       onze wijsheid en vernuft.
        ons leven voor qGod? .'                                                       Maar het is  alles ijdelheid der ijdelheden. Er is
        `, ,Ge weet het antwoord. In ,de stilte van zonde-besef eigenlijk niets nieuws onder de zbn. Laat ons. eens
        hebt ge het gezegd of gedacht.                .                            zien. Is dit eigenlijk we1 een Nieuw Jaar? Wat is het
                                                                                   Nieuwe van dit jaar? Blijft  alles niet bij het oude?
           `Neen, mijne vrienden, laten we niet ondoordacht,                       Erger ,nog : wordt alles niet steeds ouder ? En leelijker ?
       : .ijdel, of boos spreken en denken  en- werken met dit                     Is de aarde en de wereld door het komen van zoovele
        feit, hetfeit, namelijk, dat we een nieuw jaar mochten                    Nieuwe Jaren niet ontzaglijk oud en verouderd gewor-
        binnentreden, Verleden week hebben we leiding ge- den? En daar komt nog bij, dat zij verouderde en ver-
        zoeht en gevonden om het `.Oude  Jaar vaarwel te zeg-                     kankerde in de zonde en de schuld! Dat is het erg&e
       gen.           En nu gaan we weer God pragen om ons te van alles. Neen, mijne vrienden, ik verwacht niet veel
  . leiden in dit vieren van den Nieuw-Jaarsdag. En ik goeds van dit Nieuwe Jaar., Er zijn donkere wolken
        geloof die leiding gevonden te -hebben  in het U voor-                    aan de horizon.. Ik hoor een donderend .geschut  in de
        gelezen gedeelte van Gods Woord in den brief van den verten. En het komt al nader. Misschien is de. derde.'
        Apostel Petrus.
. .                                                                               wereldbrand dan alreede uitgebroken. Alles wijst erop.
            We gaan watspreken over de werkelijke Vernieu-                            Neen,.  alles blijft bij het oude. Wij waren zondaren
        w i n g   aller  dingen.  `                                               toen we met elkander zuchtten  bij het versiheiden van '
           En clan gaan we drie vragen stellen: Vernieuwing                       het Oude Jaar. En toen we onze oogen openden bij _"


           174                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR,ER

           den morgen van het Nieuwe. Jaar, toen vonden we bij          nieuwe- aarde, in dewelke gerechtigheid woont.      ,'
           onze bedstedkn  de bestraffingen Gods. Alle morgens,            En als ge> nu met mij vraagt : maar waarvan is die
           ook aan den morgen van het Nieuwe Jaar, is er de be- vernieuwing? dan'is het antwoord : vanuit de oude din-
           straffing Gods. Vraagt het maar  aan Asaf. En hij            gen komt de vernieuwing.
           was een teeder kind van God, en de Heilige Geest sprak          De  dingen, alle  dingen in  hemeI.*en   Op aarde zijn
           door"hem.                 :.                                 oud en'verouderd, en zij zijn den.ondergang  nabij.
                               .!
                      , z,           --c--a                                Dat zijn de  dingen  der. aarde en de werken die
                                                                        daarin zijn. Ge merkt,- dat ik Petrus aanhaal in het
                  Heeft dan het Nieuwe Jaar geen aparte beteekenis      tiende vers. `En ook dit: dat zijn de goddelooze men-
           voor ons? 0 ja. Dat heeft het terdege. God heeft de          schen van vers 7.
           zon en de maan en de sterren in den hemel  gezet opdat
i     I zij iouden zijn tot "teekenen en tot gezette tijden, en
           tot dagen en jaren !" 0 ja, het Nieuwe Jaar heeft zeer          De aarde is oud geworden in de zonde. En door de
           groote beteekenis. Als we maar recht oordeelen, in het zonde kwam de schuld: En die schuld riep om straf.
           reehte zien der dingen. #God heeft een aparte bood-          En de straf is de uitgieting van den toorn Gods.. En
           schap voor ons aan den morgen van elk Nieuw Jaar.            die toorn.  <Gods wierd openbaar in de verderving van
           Maar de beteekeniss  is zekerlijk niet, dat wij het `nu      den mensch der zonde. Let er op, dat ik niet zeg, dat
           eens zullen doen, of dat we nu iets herlijks mogen ver-      die straf- komt, want die straf is  kr al. God straft
           wachten in ldexe wereld. Ik onderschrap  deze laatste        zdnde met zonde. De geestelijke dood is Gods straf.
           woorden. Want dat is niet dan bedrog. Zoo `spreekt Leest Rom. 1, waar tweemaal staat hoe God de godde-
           de wereld die in het duistere en in het booze ligt. En; loozen overgeeft in grootere, meer liederlijke godde-
           zoo mag Christen niet spreken.                               loosheid. God  -is begonnen te slaan in den vroegen
                  Wat mag dan we1 die boodschap van God zijn waar- morgen der geschiedenis en Zijn slagen zijn al zwaar-
           van ik sprak. En wat heeft God te zeggen in, het rond- der aangekomen op den rug der menschheid. En waar
           draaien van wereldbol en het ronddraaien van die an-         de mensch nu koning bleef zelfs in zijn ongehoorzaani-
           dere hemellichamen, waardoor wij op aarde spreken            heid, zoodat hij alle werken der aarde kon werken, zoo
           van het komen van gezette tijden en jaren? Het is dit : heeft hij die aarde ppgeeischten  al hare v'olheid, en in
           Ge zijt een jaar ouder geworden, o mensch ! Ge gaat dienst  ,gesteld  van de ongehoorzaamheid. En toen zijn
           steeds yerder op Uw reis naar de eeuwigheid. ' Hebt          alle die werken en de aarde zeer oud geworden, en zij
           ge winst gemaakt in bet `jaar dat wegging? En wat worden steeds ouder in de goddeloosheid.
           gaat ge doen in dit jaar hetwelk -1k U weer schenk ?            Temidden van die oude en verouderde dingen wan-
           Zult ge dit jaa,r voleinden? Wat weet ge ervan of Ik         delt Christen. En dat is een vreeselijke  -wandeling.
           U niet zal komen halen in dit jaar ? En als Ik dan kom Die wandeling doet hem lijden. Hij hoort het geschrei
           om U te onderzoeken, zal het dan goed zijn met U?            en'het gekerm en het zuchten van allen en alles. Leest
           Zijt ge al bekeerd? Gelooft ge al in Mijn.Zoon? Weet Rom. 8, dat spreekt van het zuchten en het verlangen
           ge wat er te komen staat aan het einde der eeuwen;           van het brute schepsel.` Leest Jesaja die ook spreekt
           wanneer het laatste Nieuwe J%aar ingeluid zal worden?        van het zuchten en kermen der dingen. Leest het ook
           Weet ge, dat er vlammen en vuur zullen komen? Be-            in iopenbaringen.  Daar hooren we van de vorige`din-
           seft ge, dat de eene zonde op de andere gevolgd is tot gen en het zijn de dingen des doods. Weet ge het, be-
           den hemel  toe, en dat Ik in al Mijn grimmigheid aan `t      seft ge het, dat wij `onze-  wandeling hebben temidden
           komen ben om gericht te doen op de aarde? En dat er van Ben groot kerkhof? Dat het gansche mensehdom
           dan een groote vlainmenzee zal komen, dat Ik de aarde        gestorven is in Adam endat zij steeds meer sterven?
     met vuur zal verbranden, met -de hemelen die met een               Stervende zult gij sterven, zeide God en de geschiedenis
           groot ger'uisch voorbij zullen gaan? Hebt ge een schuil- bewijst het. Op velerlei gebied sterft het mensehdom.
           plaats voor dien storm gezicht en gevonden bij Mijn          En het vreeselijkste we1 is de geestelijke dood. Dat is
           Golgotha?                                                    het haten van God, het zich stellen tegenover den Al- '
      -       Dat zijn sommige der vragen die naar Gods Woord           machtige met de dwaze wdorden: Ik wil niet dat Gij,
           elk Nieuw Jaar weer aan gevraagd worden  door een            o God, Koning over ons zou.zijn !
     ( alwetend God.                                                       En die goddeloosheid neemt toe en schreeuwt als `t
              Z&t ge, Petrus sprak, van die  dingen in het  on-         ware om den oordeelsdag. De  dingen waarvan  ver-
           middelijke verband. Hij sprak daar van die vlammen-          nieuwing komt zijn de" "stokoude dingen ,der zonde en
           zee, van het versmelten der elementen.       En als een      d e s   doods.
           groot c'ontrast  spreekt hij in onzen tekst van onze ver-
           wachting,  van de verwachting der Christenen, van de
           Kerk van Christus. Maar  .wij, zoo zegt  Pet&s,  ver-           En waarheen gaat het in die Vernieuwing  aller
           wachten, naar ,Zijne belofi;e,  nieuwe hemelen en eene Dingen?            '


                   1                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE-R                                           1 7 1

      Dat zegt Petrus. God g&f eetibelofte,  en die belofte         .Om met het eerste te beginni?n: als Jezus Christus
 is vaak herhaald. In vele variaties. Die belofte iat al         U veroverd heeft met Zijn pijlen der liefde, dan zijt ge
  in de ee?ste,  die `Mokderbelofte  in het Pakadijs na den      een vijand van de tegenwoordige wereld. Dan zijt ge
  val in de zonde. Die belofte werd steeds rijker. Hebt          die wereld gekruisigd, en-dan kruisigt die .wereld U.
  ge er we1 eens op gelet, d.at het altaar. eeti hoopje zand     Dan haat ge het vleesch en al zijn begeerIijl%eden.  en
  of een hoopje steenen  is?. Dat is- een beeld van' de ver-     dan vooral Uw eigen vleesch. Dan haat ge Uw eigen
  hooging der aarde vanuit de diepte der zonde en des            leven, naar Jezus' eigen zeggen. Dan Qerkiest  ge boven
  doods. En dat altaar- had een voorname plaats in de            alles God te hebben voor Uw hart en leven. En dan
belofte  vah God. Straks wordt de  belof_te   duidelijker- strijdt .gk den goeden strijd des geloofs.
  geopenbaard.          Het altaar komt bij het Heilige der         Als `ge Jezus Christus hebt tot Uvj middelaar en
  heiligen. In het binnenste heiligdom  staat het gouden verlosser, dan `zijt ge een vijand van. Satan en zijh
  ! altaar van de .Arke des Verbohds met het verzoendek-         legers, en daarom o6k van alle leugen en bed&g. Dan
  sel. Nog later komt.  de belofte van de verhooging. der        zijt ge oak een vijand van zijn leger der menschen.
  aarde in Jesaja. Ook Jesaja spreekt itimers van bet, -Dan  haat ge de  wereId, en dat is, de begeerlijkheid
  komen van nieuwe hemelen-en de nieuwe aarde. E+ in             des vleesches, en de, begeerlijkheid der oogen en `de
   c!c volheid des tijds komt de,centrale  vervulling der be-    grootsehhejd des levens. En dan hebt ge geleeyd  om
  k&e. in ,de komst <an Jezus Christus den. Heere. In nederig te knielen voor God.
  IIem. is altaar, offerande en ,de verhooging en vqnieu-           En din is Uw verhouding tot het komende nieuwe
  wing .der dingen vervuld. Want Hij is de eerste l&f-           eeri houding van verwachting, zooals Petrus zegt. Dan
  genaam,  der nieuwe  dingen.  Op de basis van Zijn             iiet ge reikhalzend uit naar die wereld die aan.`t ko-
  bloed  za! de vernieuwde  schepping   verrijzen.  3Geen  1  men is. Dan hoort ge in de verte het blazen van de
  nieuwe seheppitig,  ma& een herschepping die tevens bazuin des archangels: En dan zijt ge sober qn wa-
  verhooging is, gelijk in alle. altaren vooruit' afgebeeld      kende. Opdat ge Uw kleederen niet  besmtit met de
  werd. En bet eigenlijke, en het Iaatste altaar was op-         besmetting  der zonde en der ongeyechtigheid. , 1
  gericlit ob den kruin van HoofdschedeIIjIaats.     En dat
   altaar is ook .de vervulling van de. Arke des Verbonds
  v'an het Heilige der heiligen.  "
       Nu dan, 61 de oude' dingen der' zonde en des dobds           Voorts is Uwe  veihouding tot de nieuwe  wereid
 iullen straks  Gerbianden en  versmelten, en uit dien           een verhouding van verlangen. Want ge hebt die we-            .
  -wereldbrand  z&l een algeheele niixwe wereld versehij-        reld vari Gods geneugten lief met al de liefdq van Uw
  nen, waarin gerechtigheid wonen zal. -In de duizende $hart. Dan Iee'ft en waakt en slaapt en droomt  ge van '
  jaren van de oude en verouderde wereld regeerde de             die wereld. Wan! die wereld is Uw ware Ieven. Leest
   ongerechtigheid: Maar dan zal de: gerechtigheid ,Gods         Coil. 3. ,Opgestaan zijnde met Christus, die Uw leven
   r e g e e r e n .                                             is, bedenkt ge de dingen die. boven zijn, niet die op de
       Die gerechtigheid is de gerechtigheid die IChristus aarde zijn. Daar zijn de Engelen Gods en we hebben
   verwierf aan het Kruis. En als ge mij vragen zoudt:           hen lief. Zij zullen ons eeuwig dienen, opdat wij <God
   wat is die gerechtigheid, dan is o& antwoord: bet, is         dienen mogen.     Daar zijn de volmaakt  reehtvaar-
   bet willen en het werken vari hqt go&de. Gerechtigheid        dig$ en we hebben hen lief. We verlangen er naar
   is het willen en het werken van datgene wat in over-          om .&dam en Eva, om Hen&h en Noaeh te zien, met
   eenstemming is met het goede. Gerechtigheid is de' Abqaham en de patriarchen. We zien uit  om Jesaja
   maatstaf van'het alleen-goed&, vati het hoogste goed,         -en $@emia te zien-met alle de profeteh. En daar zijn
   en dat is het Wezen Gods. Als gij gerechtig zijt, dan         ook'God en Christus, en dat is ons grootste  verlangen.
   beantwoordt ge aan Gods ii?aatstaf  van het goede,` en        Hiet ,op aarde zongen we met tranen. En we hebben
   dat is Gods hart.         6                                   al zjngqde onze Iiefde tot die wereld bezongen :-"k Heb '
       I                                                         mijq' tranen onder `t `klagen, tot mijn spijie dag en
                                  !44w                           nac$ti En fye hebben geweend want het ging om God
       Nu dan, die Lerechtigheid  .zaI de Nieuwe Wereld          die::de   liefde van ons hart heeft. En  we hebben `al
kenmkrken.  Ziet ge nu niet, dat die dag  waarlijk               klag&de  gevraagd: Wanneer  zal ik  inkomen en voor
   nieuw zal zijn? En daarom iien wij uit naar dien dag,         Uw":`&`angezicht  verschijnen?
   wij die in Christus Jezus iijn, en -die op Zijn belofte          !$& ge, zoo moeten we het Nieuwe Jaar ingaan en
   hopen. En als het uitzien en verwachten al zoqsehoon          het  ,:Nieuwe Jaar vieren. We  moeten uitzien,  ver-
   is, wat z@ de vervulling zijn? ,. Want we moesten nog langen naar het Nieuwe Jaar van Gods geneugten.
                                                                    .I?,
   Q6n vraag beantwoorden..  Wat is oxize verhouding tot            $$ daarom, mijne vriende:n, wensch  ik U allen veel
   beide : de oude en verouderde  wereld .en de nieuwe die       hcil'en zegen in het Nieuwe Jaar.    *
                                                                     $-
   komt?                                                              /                   s                  G .   v o s .
                                    w                                                                        --


 172            m' .                     '                     T H E   STA.NDARD  B E A R E R .                                                              I

                     The Sfa,ndard B&arer
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                   Box 124, Sta. AC.,  Grand Rapids, Mick                                    .                                ,The- Proposed Declaratiim
                       EDI!l?OR : - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
  Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                           .There are several reasons why the Declaration thk
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                           was proposed by our last-Synod  to the churches should
Michigan.                 '                                                                                         be adopted at our next Synod.
  Communictitions  relative to subscription should be addressed
to Mr. J. BOUWMAN,  -1350' Giddings  SE., Grand  Rapids  %,                                                            Its adoption should not be postponed.
Mich.   Anpounc&ments  and Obituaries, must be mailed to the                                                           Thi Mission Committee evidently felt that they hhd
aboire  address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for  each                                                   need of such a declaration as a basis for their work
notice.                                                                            -                                and deliberations. And this basis must not be left un-
Renewals:-Unless   a definite request for discontinuance is  reb                                                    certain for ,anot$er  year.. The missionaries' themselves
ceived,  it `is assumed that the stibscriber  wishes his subscription
tq- continue without the formality of a renewal .order.                                                             evidently felt the need of it as a basis for their labors    J
E&e&d  as Second' Class Mail at Grand, Rapids, Michigan.                                                            and for  t$e organization of churches. At least, the
                                                                                                                    Rev. A. Cammenga, who was present at our last Synod,
                                                                                                                    strongly expressed himself in favor of  idopting this
                                      .^                       `_                                                   declar.ation. And, at our last Synod it was virtually
                                                                                        (                           addpted  without a dissenting vote.      Surely a year
                                                                                                               \    should be long enough' for the .+churehes  td consid&
                                                                                                                    such a  xdoctiment as the Declaration of Principles;
                                                                                                                    which virtually. offers nothing else than the- Confes-
                                                                                                                    sions the&elves. Nor should we postporie.  the adop-
                               -  C O N T E 'N T S                                                                  tion of this. declaration because- of a possible visit of
* MEDITATION-                                  `.                                                                   the Committee of Correspondence to the Netherlands.
         De Vernieuwing  Aller Dingen  _ ._.__.._.._..._...________  _ _______________.  -169                       For, in the first place,.it is not even certain, in view
            Rev. Gerrit Vos                                                                                         of the world situation, that the committee is able to go
                                                                                                                    this year. ' And secondly, if they do go, it is advisable
E D I T O R I A L S -                                                                                               that the Deputies for Correspondence in the Nether-
      The' 
             I%$posed  Declaration  ______..._._..__..._.... &______ ____________________ 172
            R e v .   H .   H o e k s e m a                                                                         lands,,stand  on a definite basis such as the Declaration
                                                                                                                    of Principles offers.
OTJR~ DOCTRINE-                                                                                                        Hence, I would not: be in favor of postponing a final
         The Creation (of the S$ritual  World (3) . ..? .._____ _ _______ . . ...175                                decision by the Synod on this important matter.
             Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                           But should this declaration be Fdopted  at all? Is
CONTRIIXJTIONS-                                               -.                                                    there any reason for its adoption by our churches?
      About  +,he "Declaration" ..-..-.-...  _ -....- _ . . .._.._......_._.._  _ ..-..' __.._._178                 To this question I answer affirmatively. And I haye
            H.  A. Van  Putten.                                                                                     the following reasons :
      The Isflues  ? __ _________________________________ _______.___  _____________ _____ ____________ 180           .l. It is indeed often necessary that within the ,Con-
            H. H. Windemuller.                                                                                      fessions  the Churches clearly express what according
                                                                                                                    to their conviction is the plain teaching of those Con-
      Hoeless  Weeding Iand Ecclesiastical Bifocals . .._.. __________ 181
            Gee. Ten Elshof.                                                                                        fessions. This becomes necessary when one or a group
                                                                                                                    of persons within -the churches cla& to stand on the
      Rev. Petter's Sixth Instalment _____ ____' ..-.--...-.--.-.......-  _____ ____ . 
                                                                                                  ...182            basis df the cdtifessioris  b@ nevertheless deviate from
            R&v. G.  M; Ophoff'                                                                                     them. Such was ihe. case in the Christ&  Reformed
FROM HOLY  W%T-                                                                                                     Churches in 1918, when the Rev. H. Bultema attempted
      Exposition of Hebrews 10:19-25 ________________~ _______ + _____________ 187 to  propag+e his premillenial  and dispensational doc-
            Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                            .                                       trine in the Reformed churches. The Synod then ap-
                                                                                                                    pealed to the Confessions to prove the unity of' the
IN HIS FEAR-                                                                                                        church of all ages both ih the old and new dispeka-
      Church Membership In His Fear ___...._._._.. ~..~ ______ _ _______________ 189
             Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                    tions, and the Kingship of Christ (over His church.
                       I'                                                                                           Agaip; this was necessary when Dr. Jansen tried to in-
      Among The Immigrants (2) _.._..._... _ ___________ _ _____: ____________ _ _____ i90                          k&ate into the stud'ents  of the Theological School
            Reva  W. Hofmati `and A. Cammenga.                                                                      of the Christian Reformed Clkrches his modernistic
                                                                                                                    teachings concerning Holy Writ.. Also then the Synod


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE-R                                              193

 appealed to the Confessions to prove that he was in           never forget that the Synod of 1950 did not def?.tiitely
 error. Once more it became necessary for those who            adopt the Declaration, of Principles, but to avoid all
 loved the Reformed faith in 1924 to express their con:        semblance of hierarchy decided simply, to propose it
 viction as to what is the plain teaching of the Three to all our churches, in order that in the way of con-
 Forms of Unity over against the error of the Three            sistories and classes it might be adopted at our next
 Points adopted by the Synod of Kalamazoo, 1924.               Synod. How anyone can content on good grounds that
    As churches we `are in the. same situation today.          the Synod violated any rule of the Church Order is
 We must clearly express w.hat according to the con-           certainly a mystery to me.
 viction of the Protestant Reformed Churches is the               3. The Declaration of Principles will certainly serve
 plain,teaching  of the Confessions, not only over against     as a sound and clear basis, for the organization of
 the Three Points adopted by the Christian Reformed            prospective Protestant Reformed Churches. And that
 Churches in 1924 but also in distinction from the there is dire need for such a definite basis for organiz-
Liberated view of the covenant and of the promise              ation is already clearly proved by the history of our
 of God, which is principally the same as the Heynsian         congregation in Hamilton, Ontario. There the  con-
 conception.                                                   sistory refused to stand by its own decision, which
    Now let us note,-and this is my main and prin-             was corroborated by `Classis East, namely, to ask of
ciple `ground on which I base the `contention that the         all prospective members that they submit to the in-
 Declaration of Principles should be adopted,-thut the         struction of OLD- Protestant Reformed Churches and
 declaration  is based from  begin@ng to end on  owr           that they refrain from agitating against our doctrine.
 Thr,ee Forms of Unity, as well as on owr Baptism Form.        In my presence the members of the corisistory definite-
    Some have alleged, without any proof for their             ly stated that at the time they were organized they did
 contention, that the Declaration of Principles is noth-       notI promise anything and did not bind themselves to
 ing but a private theological opinion, or that it is at       adhere to Protestant Reformed doctrine whatsoever.
 least extra-confessional. But this certainly is not true.     There was nothing binding in our churches according
 In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. Let to them, except, of course, the Three Forms of Unity,
 us not overlook the fact that the entire Declaration          which they interpret in their own fashion. Certainly
 consists almost entirely of literal quotations from the       a definite basis for organization of prospective Pro-
 Confessions. ,Only occasionally Synod expresses very testant Reformed  IChurches is a dire need. It was
 briefly in its own words what the Confessions teach.          such a basis which the Mission Committee needed and
 Hence, the Declaration is essentially nothing else than       requested and which was supplied by the proposed
 the. Three Forms of Unity and the Baptism Form as             Declaration of Principles. And this Declaration will
 they have always been understood by the Protestant            certainly admirably serve the purpose. Also for this
 Reformed Churches. Even the terms  fountain  and              reason I propose that the Declaration be adopted at
 GCCU& of our salvation,  which are used  in. II, A, to        our next Synod.
 which Dr.' Schilder objects,\  are nevertheless quite con-       4. `The: Declaration of Principles will serve as a
 fessional. For in ICanons I, A, .6 we read that the gift      clear proclamation to all that are without of the faith-
of faith proceeds from God's eternal decree, which cer- ful adherence of the Protestant Reformed Churches
 tainly presents the decree as the fountainhead of faith.      to the Reformed faith as expressed in the Three Forms
 And in lCanons I, A, 10 we read: "The good pleasure           of Unity, over against all that deviate from .these Con-
 of God is the sole cause of this gracious election." But      fissions. This is true particularly in the first place
 whatever minor criticisms may.be offered, it issafe to- over against the errors of the Three Points, which
 say that the Declaration of Principles is the language        teach that there is a grace of God to all men, includ-
 of the Confessions ; it offers nothing, new.                  ing the reprobate, in the common gifts to men ; which
    2. The Declaration of Principles was adopted as            teach, besides, that the promise of the gospel is a well-
_a proposal to all our churches in the regular, ecclesi-       meant offer of salvation on the part of <God to all that
 astical way. No one can refute this on any sound              hear the gospel ; and which teach, finally, that through
 church political basis. As I have repeatedy stated, it        an influence of common grace the natural man can do
 was adopted at the request of the Mission Committee.          good in this world. And secondly, this is true over
 That committee is a synodical  committee and cannot           against the Heynsian view of the promise and the
 send its proposals or requests in the way of consistory       covenant, which. according to the conviction of the
 and classis to synod, but must report to Synod directly.      Protestant Reformed Churches is certainly' Arminian.
 It is concerned with the mission work. of our churches.       It is especially over against these errors that the De-
 And that work certainly pertains to all the churches in       claration. of Principles clearly sets forth what is ac-
 common. It was therefore no violation of Art. 30 of           cording to the Protestant Reformed Churches the clear
 the Church Order when Synod received and acted on             teaching of the Confessions.
 the request of the Mission Committee. Besides, let LX            5. It will safeguard our Protestant Reformed Chur-


174                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER-

ches'by the grace of God against the influence of those       trinal differences that cause us to differ from one
who claim that they adhere to the Reformed Confes-            another; It is a well-known fact that the Liberated,
sions, but who nevertheless deviate from them. There          though they deny that they have any officially adopted
is more than one reason for this attitude. Some indeed        covenant view, all embrace the Heynsian conception.
do not like the clear language of the Confessions with        For proof I refer to the articles by Dr. Bremmer in
their emphasis on particularism, unconditional elec-          the issues of the Reformatie that appeared soon after
tion, the total depravity of man, and sovereign grace.        the war, to Prof. Veenhof's Ap&l I and to his Unicn
But there are others .too, not only among the common          Catholica as well as to many other articles in several
laity but also among the leaders, that have never'made        church papers. We do not blame them for this. Nor
a thorough and careful study of the Confessions. The          do I think that correspondence with them is impossible.
former tendency to deviate from the strict language           We can have correspondence, for instance, by sending
of the ,Confessions  regarding the sovereignty of God,        delegates to one another's synods; we can have  car-
unconditional election, and the total depravity of man        respondence, too, by getting  into' closer and constant
.was evident when the Synod of 1924 of the Christian          contact with each other and by honestly and openly
Reformed Churches adopted the well-known Three                discussing the doctrinal differences that separate us.
points. But this is no less true of many of the Liber-        But it stands to reason that to establish the beginning
ated, who claim that they are bound only by the Three         of such correspondence we must clearly and de!initely
 Forms of Unity but in `the meantime teach that the           enunciate our conception of the covenant and of the
-promise is on the part of God for all the children that      promise of God, in order that we may stand in an
are baptized. "But among them there are certainly honest relation to one another. from the beginning.
very many that have never studied the Confessions.            And the Declaration of Principles will certainly serve
 Their claim that they will be bound by nothing but' the      to .enunciate clearly what our Confession teaches con-
 Three Forms of Unity is a mere empty slogan, by              cerning these matters,' and therefore will serve also as
which they nevertheless want to throw open the d,oors         a safe and proper basis and starting-point for cor-
 of the church wide to whoever may want to join. This         respondence.
is evident from the attitude of the Consistory of Hamil-         These are some of the reasons why, in my opinion,
ton. Fact is that such people do not want to stand            the Synod of 1951 should adopt the Declaration of
,on the basis of the Three Forms of Unity but want to         Principles.
be bound by nothing at all, although they claim that                                                         H .   H .
they are bound by the Confessions. This is a great
,danger. If we follow their. lead, our Protestant Re-
formed Churches will soon lose their distinctiveness.                                        -
And therefore I claim that the Declaration of Prin-
 ciples; .which clearly enunciates the teachings of the
 Confessions, will, bjT the grace of God, serve as a safe-              .I      MY  SHEPH,ERD
guard against all who claim that they are bound by the
`Confessions but who principally must have nothing of             `The Lord is my Shepherd, oh, blessed thought !
them.                                                              I shall not want. His love has bought
 6. Finally, the Declaration of  Principleswill serve              The pastures green where I may lie
as a sound and safe basis and starting,point for cor-              By waters still, where hopes soar high.
respondence with other Reformed Churches, especially               My soul restored. for His name's sake,
also with the Reformed `Churches `(Art. 31) of the                 E'en fear I of death from me di.d take.
Netherlands. I can, very well understand and agree                 He is with me through weal and woe,
with men like the Rev. van Dijk of Groningen, Prof.                My,,every word and thought to know.
Holwerda, and Rev. van Raalte and others, who pro-               His rod and. staff they comfort me.              '
tested at the Synod of Amersfoort when -it decided to              His word from fear has set me free.
establish full correspondence with our churches and to,            He feeds and tends me with loving care
open their pulpits to .our ministers without any `pre-             And guards the raiment that I wear
liminary discussion;- Honest correspondence demands                To keep it pure and spotless white,
first of all that we clearly, enunciate the principles on          That from its beauty shall shine a light
which we stand and that in that. way we may learn to               To keep' my soul- in righteous truth'
know one another as churches. ,Correspondence with                 In childhood, age, and valiant youth.
the Liberated Churches of the Netherlands certainly           `My. cup shall with His love run o'er.
.cannot be established by our opening our pulpits to             His mercy, goodness, grace shall pour
 them and they to us' and by accepting one another's               Into my soul. From His care be parted never,
 membership papers without first discussing the doc-               For I shall dwell in His .home forever.


        4        3                                                                                                       1

                                            1
                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        175

                                                                      that the angels have material existence (see the. pre-
                                DQCTRINE                              ce,ding paragraph) we may say that, first, the refer-
                                                                      ence'to Isaiah 6 is surely pointless. It, is a fact, is it
                                                                      not, that the prophet, Isaiah, also beholds, the Lord
               e Creation 0% `The `Spirit Wqld sitting npon a throne, yea, that ,His train filled the
                                                                      temple. Hence, if it be true that the Seraphima have
                                , (3)                                 a-material `existence because they appear in this vision
                                                                      to Isaiah as having a face, hands, and feet, must the
                            THEIR       NATUR-E.          ..          same not apply to the Lord? Secondly, we have al-
      s'ehond.lYy, the angels are  sp&%u-tl and incorporeal           ready called attention to the fact that the ,Cherubims
     beings.                                                          appear in different forms and that, therefore, these
                                                                      forms cannot constitute an essential part of their being
              With respect to this point there has not always been    and existence. Thir.dly,-it  is true that God is Spirit
      unanimity of opinion. The Jews and many of the                  and also that the angels are spiritual beings. How-
      early Church Fathers ascribed to the angels airy or             ever, we must bear in mind that God is untreated,  that
      fiery bodies. The Synod of  Nicea, 787, declared its            the angels were  ,or are created spirits, and that a
      agreement with .a certain John of Thessalc&a  who               created, spirit does not necessarily imply that such a
      opined that the angels had fine, delicate bodies, and           being has a material existence or body.
      with another who stated that the angels were limited               That the angels are spirits and incorporeal beings
      as far as space is concerned .and had appeared in the           is taught in  the. Scriptures. The Word of God tells
      form of men and could therefore be portrayed and                us plainly that the angels are spirits, as in Matt. 3 :16,
      represented. However, a. council in 1215 declared that - I2 :45 : "`When the even was come, they brought unto
      the angels had a spiritual nature and being, and `the           Him many that were possessed with devils ; and. He
      Church of the Middle Ages came to the conclusion that           cast out the spirits with His Word,/and healed all that
      they were &ritual beings.                                       were sick. . . . Then goeth he, and taketh with him-
       In support of the contention that also the angels              self seven other spirits more wicked- than himself, and
      must be characterized by a material substance, be it            they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of
     altogether different from that which  characterizes              that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be
      mankind, the following grounds were presented. The also unto this wicked  generation ;" Luke 7 :21, 8 :2,
      .various appearances of angels whereof we read so of-           11:26 : "And in that same hour He cured many of their
     . ten in Holy Writ were quoted as proof for the conten-          infirmities and plagues, and `of evil. spirits ; and unto
      tion that the heavenly beings had a material substance.         many that were blind He gave sight. . . . And cer-
      How often it  was declared, did they not appear as men.         tain `women, which had been healed of evil spirits and
      Secondly, the vision in Isaiah 6 was quoted in support          infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went
      of this contention. In that vision of the prophet the           seven devils. . . . !Then goeth he, and taketh .to him
     seraphims .appear as having a face, feet, and hands.             seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and
      Thirdly, this contention rested- upon a comparison              they enter, in, and dwell there: and the last state of
      which was drawn between the Lord and the angels.                that man is worse than the first."; Acts 19 :12 : `So
      God is pure Spirit, but He is also Simple, omnipresent,         that from his body were brought unto the sick hand-
      eternal. The angels, however, are limited, also from            kerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed, from
      the aspect of time and place ; if they actually move            them, and the evil spirits went out of- them."; Eph.
      about from one place to another, and are not to be              6 :I2 : "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
      identified with the living"God,  then they must,. in their against principalities,- against $ow.ers, against the rul- '
      own way, be characterized by a bodily, corporeal exist-         ers.;pf  the darkness of this world, against spiritual
      ence. Hence, they must be characterized by a certain            wickedness in high places." ;, Hebrews 1: 14 : "Are they
      `material existence, be it not in the rude, coarse sense        not tall ministering spirits, sent fo,rth to minister for
      of the word whichthen is true of us as children of men.         them who' shall be heirs of salvation?"
              In connection with this problem involving the ques-        Moreover,`they have no flesh and bone, Luke 24 :39 :
      tion whether the angels are characterized by a material         "Behold my hands dnd my feet, that it is I myself ;
      substance, we would state the following. First, we              handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and:
      deal here with a mystery. This lies in the nature of            bones, as ye see me have"; they do not marry, Matt.
      the case. We do not even understand our own -being, -22 $0 : `"For in the resurrection they neither marry,
      do not understand the existence of an animal ; how,             nor,;.are given in marriage, .but are as the angels of
      then, shall we understand and comprehend the nature             Gorj `in heaven." It is true that also the people of God
      and being of an angel ? Secondly, in connection with            will not marry or be given in marriage in heaven, and
~     the grounds which were presented for the contention             that. from this fact * one might conceivably conclude


 176                                    T H E       ~TANIDARD  BEARE,R

 that, therefore, also they will not have .a material exist- his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from
 ence in heaven. However, this conclusion cannot be the simplicity that is in ,Christ.", 2 Cor.  11:3 ; "Put
 drawn from this passage in Matthew. Jesus, in `these           on the whole armour of ,God, that `ye may be able to
 words, simply declares that `we shall be like unto the         stand against the wiles of' the devil. For we wrestle
 angels in this respect: we shall not marry or be given         not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
 in marriage ; this does not imply that the reason why          against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of.
 we shall not marry or be given in marriage is neces-           this world, against spiritual wickedness in high -places"
 sarily the same as that which applies to the heavenly          Eph. 6 : 11-12.
 beings. That the angels do not marry is due, we know,              Various personal attributes and activities are attri-
 to their peculiar existence. The angels, moreover, can         buted to the angels as e.g.. self-consciousness, Luke
be present in great numbers in a very limited space,            1:19 : "And the angel answering said unto him, I am .
`Luke 8 :30 : "And Jesus asked him, saying, What is             Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent
thy name: And he said, Legion: because many devils              to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tid-
were  lenter.e,d  into him." Finally, according to  Cal.        ings." ; speaking and desire, I Pet. 1:12 : "Unto whom
 1:16, they were invisible : "For by Him were all things        it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us
created, that are in heaven,. and that are in earth,            they did minister the things, which are now-reported
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or do-          unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto
minions, or principalities, or powers: all things were          you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven ;
created by Him, and for Him."                                   which things the angels desire to look into."; rejoicing,
Hence, we would conclude that the angels are                    Luke 15 :10 : "Likewise, I say unto~you, there is joy in
spiritual beings, not consisting of substance or ma-            the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
terial. Also our souls are immaterial, are they not,            repenteth." ; praying, Heb. 1:6 : "And again, when He
and yet they have been created and are able to exist            -bringeth  in the first-begotten into the.world,  He saith,
apart from' the bodies, which does not happen when              And let all the angels of God worship Him." ; believing,
the soul leaves its dead body. Animals are purely `James 2 : 19 : "Thou believest that there is one God ;
material ; angels are spirits ; man is so created that he       thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.`X;
is adapted to both worlds, the material and the spirit-         lying, John 8 :44 : "Ye are of `your father the devil, and
ual (his-soul and body). In heaven God's :people shall          the lusts of your father the devil ye will do. He was a
continue to be beings with a material existence, al-            murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the
though we know that our bodies then will be different           truth, because. there is no truth. in him.  .When he
than they are now. And, as beings whose bodies shall            speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : for he is a liar, .
be characterized by a heavenly substance in distinction         and the father of it."; sinning, John &:44.
from the earthly which characterizes us upon the                   A great power is ascribed to them ; angels are not
earth, we shall be higher than the angels, who are in-          timid beings, but an army, host, mighty in strength.
c o r p o r e a l   b e i n g s .                               This is clearly taught in Ps.  103:20-21: "Bless the
                                                                Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His
Thirdly, the angels &-e ratioNa creaturei, gif-bed with         comniandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.
mind and will.                                                  Bless ye the Lord, all ye His hosts ; ye ministers of His,
    B,oth faculties, ,of the mind and of the will, are re-      that do His pleasure."; Luke 11:21: "When a strong
peatedly ascribed to the angels by Holy Writ. "Now              man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.";
there was a day when the sons of God came to present            Cal. 1: 16 : "For by Him- were all things created, that
themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among are in heaven; and that are~in earth, visibl~e and in-                    .
them. And `the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest              visible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or prin-
thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said,' From             cipalities, or powers: all things were created by Him,
going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and          and for him :" 2. Thess. 1:7-8 : "And to you who are
down in it . . . .", Job 1:6 f .f. ;' "And he showed me         troubled with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from
Joshua the `-high priest, standing b'efore the angel of heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire tak-
the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to re- ing vengeance on them that know not God, and that
sist him:"-Zech. 3 : 1 f .f. ; "And, behold, they cried out;    obey not the- gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."; Acts
saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou 5 :19 : "But the angels of the Lord by night opened the
Son of `God?  are Thou come hither to torment us before prison doors, and brought them forth, and said."; Heb.
thetime?. .  ._. Take heed that ye despise not one of           1: 14 : "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth
these little ones ; for I say unto ~0~1, That in heaven         to minister for, them who shall be heirs of salvation."
their angels do always behold the face .of My Father               In knowledge they are richer than we upon the
which is in heaven." Matth. 8 :29, 18 :lO; "But I fear, -earth. This we read in Matt. 18 :10 and 24 :36 : "Take
lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through          heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I


                                        .THE  S~TANDARD  B E A R E R                                                     17?

    say unto you, -That in heaven their angels do always          Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to
    behold the .face of My Father which is in heaven. . . .       every man according to his ways, whose heart Thou
    But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not knowest; (for Thou, even `Thou' only, knowest the
 `. the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Surely,            hearts of all the children of men) ;", or Ps. 139 :2-4:
    the implication in the latter passage is that ,not even       "Thou knowest my downsitting and  lnine uprising,
    the angels in heaven know that day or hour. They              Thou understand&t  my thought afar off. Thou com-
    acquire their knowledge out of their own nature, John         passeth my path and my lying down, and art acquaint-
    -844.; "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts        ed with all my ways! For there is not a word in my
    of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from tongue, but, lo, 0. Lord; Thou knowest it altogether.";
  - the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because and in Acts I:24 : "And they, prayed, and said, Thou,
    there is no truth in'him. When he speaketh a lie, he          Lord, Which knowest the hearts of all men,' `shew
    speaketh of his own : for he -is a liar, and the father       whether of these two Thou hast chosen."
* o f   i t . " Furthermore, they attain mlto this knowledge       -They do not know the future, Is.  41~22, 23: "Let
    out of their viewing of the works of God, Eph. 3 :lO,         them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen :
    I Tim. 3 :16, and' I Pet. 1:12 : `"To the intent that now     let them shew the former, th&s, what they be, that
    unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places         we may consider them, and know the latter end of
    might be known by the'church the manifold wisdom of           them  ; or declare us things for to come. Shew the
    &God.  . . . And without controversy great is the mys-        things that are to come hereafter, that we may know
    tery of godliness : ,God was manifest in the flesh, justi-    that ye are gods : yea, do good, or do evil, that we may
    fied in the Spirit,' seen of angels, preached unto the        be dismayed, and behold it together." Neither do they
    Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into          know the -day of judgment, Mat-t. 24 : 36 : "But of that
    glory.. . . . Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
    themselves, but unto ,us they did minister the things,        heaven, but My Father only." Also, their knowledge
    which are now reported unto you by them that have             is subject to increase and development, Eph. 3 :lO:
  preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost                "To the intent that now unto the principalities and
    sent down from heaven ; which things the angels desire        pow,ers in, heavenly places might be known the mani-
    to look into."' They also acquire their knowledge from fold wisdom of ,God."
    revelations which God imparted unto them, Daniel                 Finally, we may also believe that the knowledge
    3 :15-16, 9 :21-22, and Revelation 1:l: "And it came to       and power among the angels varies consideraJb!y, and
    pass; when I, ,even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and that the angels'. are to be distinguished, not only in
    sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood be-,        classes and groups, but also- personally so that each
    fore me as the ,appearance  of a man; And. I heard a          angel bears his own particular personality. This is
    man's voice between the'ba'nks  of Ulai, which called,        also true among men. A person's characteristics and
    Andy said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the           "make-up" ,determines  to a large extent the nature and
    vision. . . . Yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even ,extent  of his knowledge. The one thirsts after medical
    the man Gabriel, whom-1 had seen in the vision at the         knowledge and another concerns himself with the study
    beginning, being` caused to fly swiftly, touched me           of plants, etc. As a person is, so he studies. This is
    about the time of the evening oblation. -And he ih-           often the case among men. Why should not the same
  formed me, and talked with me, and said, 0 Daniel,              `distinction hold forth among the heavenly spirits?
    I am now come forth to give thee skill and understand-
   ing. . . . The Revelation of Jesus `Christ, which God .Fiially, all the angels have.also in common that they
    gave unto him, to shew unto His servants things which         aYe moral, ethicnl beings.
    must shortly come to `pass ; and He sent and signified           This appears from what Scripture teaches us in
    it by His angel unto His servant John." H,owever,  the        connection with the good angels who serve ,God day
    kpowledge  of the angels is limited to the objects, Eph.      and night, and the. bad angels who did not continue
    3:10, I Pet.  1:12,: "To the intent, that now unto the        in their original state.      ._
    principalities and powers in heavenly  pla`ces   migh$           .iThe Word of God does not say much about the
    be known by the. church- the manifold wisdom of God           original state of the angels. We do read that God saw
    . . . . Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto them-        at the end of His work of creation, that all was very
    selves, but unto us they did minister the things,-which       good. This, we know, is told in Genesis 1:31. Besides,
    are now reported unto you by them that have preached a good and perfect original condition of the angels is
    the .gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down            surely presupposed in Judas 6 and II Pet. 2:4: "And
    from heaven ; which. things the angels desire to look         the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
    into,."                                                       their- own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting
        They do not know our nor another's thoughts of            chains under darkness unto the judgment of the.great
 . the heart, I Kings 8 :39 : "Then hear Thou in `heaven          day. . . . For if God spared not the angels that sinned,

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

  but cast them down to. hell, and deliver,ed them into
  chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment."                                Contribution.
  That the evil angels existed eternally, so that they were
  not created good and therefore did not fall from their         t                              Holland, Michigan
  high .estate is surely not .taught in the Holy Scriptures.                                    December 22, 1950
  And we need not at this time discuss the-many views
  which have been deve1oped.m  connection with the ori-         Dear Editor of the Standard Bearer:
  ginal condition of the angels and their subsequent fall.            In re Rev. Kok's article which he handed out to the
         The Word of God simply informs us that. all were       personel of the Holland Men's Society, and which also
 , created good, that some sinned and are eternally damn- appeared in the Standard Bearer, I would like to state -
  ed, and that others remained standing and were con-           the following :
  firmed in their goodness. Also over against the Re-                 That although Rev. .Kok is "becoming more and
  monstrants (*Arminians)  who taught that the will of          more convinced that the `Declaration of Principles' is
  the good angels was changeable, the, Church of God            a sad mistake, and that we as .churches should reject
  has maintained the contrary. Everywhere in Holy               it" ; that I am becoming a thousandfold more convinced
   Writ the good angels are pictured as a faithful host         every time I read this `Declaration' from the hand of
  who perform unceasingly the will of the Lord. They Rev. Kok, that if there ever &.s a time that we as
' are called angels of the Lord in Ps.  103:20 and Ps.          churches needed such a `Declaration' that the time is
   104:4: "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in         NOW; not only because the immigrants have asked
  strength, that do' His commandments, hearkening unto          Synod through the Mission Committee, but it is becom-
 the voice of His word. . . . Who maketh His angels             ing more and more evident that we need this `Declara-
   spirits ; His ministers a framing  fire." They'are called, tion' for the, vers  nersonel of our own churches in
   elect in I Tim. 5 :21: "I charge thee before God, and the    order to save our chirches from being swallowed up by
   Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou ob-       Arminianism and  Pelagianisml
   serve these ~things' without preferring one before an-
   other, doing nothing by partiality." They are called               In Rev. Kok's article it strikes me that there are
   holy in Matt.  25:31: "When the Son `of Man shall , two parts to whikh we must pay particular attention:
   come in His glory:  and all the holy angels with Him,        1) His deep love for the immigrants, so much so, that
  then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." The          he would leave open( ?) oropen WIDE the doors of the
   same thought is expressed in Luke 9 :26, Acts 10 :22,        Protestant  R.eformed Churches so that they could enter
   II Cor. 11:14, and Rev. 14 :10, and we quote the last        peacefully, to believe and defend whatever is dearest
   text : "The same shall drink of `the wine of the wrath       to their heart, even at the expense of w.e denying our
   of God, which is poured out without mixture into the         doctrine ; and 2) That in order. to arrive at this pbssi-
   cup of His indignation ;`and he shall be tormented with      bility to procure this for the Liberated, Rev. Kok as-
 . fire and brimstone in the presence .of the holy angels,      sails our Synod with the accusation that they `(the
   and in the presence'of the Lamb." Daily they see the -synod) have violated Art. 30 of the D.K.O., which,
  face of the. Lord, Matt: 18 :810: `"Take heed that ye         if this can be proven would certainly be,a strong point
   despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you,    to overthrow the possibility of ever adopting this, or
   That in heaven their angels do always behold the fact        any Declaration similar to it.which in any way would
   of My Father .which is in heaven." And the believers         be offensive to the hearts and minds of the Liberated
   shall one day be like unto them, according to Luke           brethren in Canada, or the Netherlands; in order then
  20 :35-36 : "But they which shall be accounted worthy         that they with us could unmolestedly all live under the
  to obtain that, world, and the resurrection from the          same church roof. That to me seems to be the entire
   dead, neither marry, nor are given .in marriage ; Nei-       content of the article Rev. Kok handed out to us, which
  ther &an they die any more : f,or they are equal unto the     (as he told me) would also appear in the Standard
  angels; and are the children of God, being the children       Bearer, for which I shall not wait.          '          .
   of the resurrection."                                              These two parts in his article are clearly discern-
         :Of the angels we may, therefore, say that they-are    able if and when we carefully study the matter in the
  created beings, and that they are spiritual, incorporeal      light of the material which he advances to prove his
  beings. Holy Writ also informs us that they are ra-           contention :
  tional creatures, gifted with mind and will. And, fin-              "The `Declaration' is a sad mistake: Partly (  ?)
  ally, they are moral, ethical beings. We must still call      because of its doctrinal content; and Synod yiolated
  attention to their service and activity and, finally, to      Art. 30 of the D.K.IO.; Synod acted TOjO hastily; and
  their significance for the Church of  ,God. But this          this `Declaration' UNLESS GOD WILL GRACIOUS-
  must wait until a following article.                          LY FORBID, will cause dissension and schism in our
                                            H. Veldman.         churches . . . (because ?) because the questions'. ( ? ??)
                                                   .'
                                            . ,

                                                    -

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

        involved are extra-confessional?) . . . and debatable?)      DO, then wiz bar such. an one from the kingdom of
        . . . and because of that may NOT determine member- heaven and  such an Anathema  would be terrible  ;
        ship dr rion-membership in the chub-ch of Christ. `(why      and this we shall do (?) if and when we pass this
        not the Prot. Ref. Churches, which wquld be to .the          Declaration???. (That seems to be Rev. Kok's diffi-
        point, H.V.P.)                                               culty, H. V. P.) AND THERE WOULD BE NfO DIS-
           To the above asseitions, Rev. Kok then ushers' in         SENSION IF the Liberated could FREELY progagate
        HIS material from here and there to substantiate HIS         that old Heynsian view into our churches again ; and
        contention ; and what is this? Let us see :                  NO ONE could do anything about it? That would be
           "Instead of the Synod (where ALL' the churches            the peace of the graveyard, would it not? And a peace
        `are represented) expressing whether ou? view of the         at any price, JUST SO the Liberated find shadow
        (Covenant and Baptism' ave BINDING in our churclies,         under the church roof of the Prot. `Ref. Churches,
        Rev. ,Kok would have A cons&dory answer that ques-           which; as soon as we concede to such a proposition,
        tion for the Mission Committee; which HE claims `is          the Prot. Ref. Churches will exist NO MORE. (IStrange
        the olnly a-uthoritative body in- this matter', and thus     reasoning indeed, and difficult to follow, H.V.P.)
        HE thinks to do justice to Art. 30 of the D.K.O. which          Then Rev. Kok states: "We may not determine
        Synod violated. However  ( ?) IF THIS COiVSISTORY            membership or non-membership in (the church of
        could not reach a decisiqn, -T&EN the matter could           Christ) or in our Prot. Ref. Churches". Where did
        have been taken to Synod. (I underscore, .H.V.P.)       *    Rev. Kok coin such phraseology? The Reverend must
           But what IF this consistory.,  WOULD HAVE possess a D. K. 0. all of his own; but this cannot be
        REACHED A DECISION, then what? According to                  a .D.K.O.    He may own one, but I challenge him to
        Rev. Kok then Art. 30 would. not have been violated.         prove that according to IOUR accepted Confessions,
        But I ask: would then Art. 84, D.K;O. also have been         and :OUR D.K.rO. formula of subscription; of making
        maintained, as also Art.  31? Rev. Kok would  biwd           confession of faith ; form of installation of ministers,
        24 consistories to the decision of that-ONE  consistory.     and that of Elders  and Deacons etc. etc., that that
`.      And- that he then calls GOOD. CHURCH POLITY? which HE asserts. here contai-ns one-billionth of a de-
        But so it is ; that is his version . . . (but * not mine,    gree of the truth of the Reformed  Confessiofis ever
        H.V.P.)    One consistory would then lord it over 24         before or even now. It may be REAL arminianism
        other consist&ies,  who had no vote in the. matter `(Art. and pelagianism, but there isn't a shadow of Reformed
        84 of the  D.K.0.) and bind their consciences which truth in his contention, at best.
        Art. 31 DlK.0. forbids; and this would be O.K. And              To me it seems SO PATHETIC that a man claiming
        we adopt a .heresy again and Art. 80 D.K:O. would lo6k       to.s;e the matter so clearly as what Rev. Kok seems to
        nice. Is that good &lurch order Rev: Kok?        I           would have us believe; that instead of his assailing the.
           "Synod acted too hastily says Rev. Kok, for which matter as he does ; that inste`ad he would have given us
        I can find no reason, and he furnishes none, so it is        ABUNDANT, proofs from God's Word, our accepted
        anyone's guess just what he means With this assertion.       Confessions (major and minor) and. the D.K.0. I feel
       y It is true that he could mean that' Synod wasn't ABLE       that this is not only his prisiilege,  but also his duty as
        to express itself on what we as churches have taught         a mi&ster.who was taught at our school, and has been
        and believed for the .last 20-25 years already; as also      a minister in our churches for some 16 years already.
        that we could have-explained the D.K.O. to the Synod         With the exception of Rev. Vos ; he is one of  the
        first before they acted on the request from the Cana-        oldest ministers, and should be WELL ABLE to clear-
        dian immigrants ; both of these suggestions seem to          ly .and concisely explain what he means, instead of
        be incorporated in his article.                              dqing as he does. Then we will get somewhere in the
           And, if  ,God does  not graciously  forbid etc." My pro$er direction, instead of what his article advocates.
        question is FORBID WHAT? The Synod (churches)                Let'& be realistic; instead of shadow-boxing one an-
       . passing this Declaration? `This is evidently what is        other with hazy insinuations of `"wolf ! wolf !"             .,
      ' at stake, and this then' is either the salvation, or de-        1. for one (and there are others with me in Holland)
        struction of our chyrehes. _ But WHAT is Rev. Kok's          f,eel .that IT IS MORE `THAN HIGH TIME, that this
        solution to the problem then? Evidently the follow-          Declaration be passed; not only f&r the Liberated, but
        ing: Prevent schism and dissension in our churches,          alsoifor the benefit of our churches, lest we be swal-
      c by dratving up some sort of letter which every Liber-        lowe$ up in the mire of Arminianism and PelagTanism
        ,ated immigrant can sign with a FREE conscience, to          now', and forever. So help  us  God is my prayer, to
        do and believe as he deems proper, by propagating the        preserve our doc'trine.
      old Heynsian views into our churches again, (that
        which we so hate, ` and which they so lobe) ; but for                               Your brother in Christ,        '
                                                                        . .
        conscience sake, let us bind NO ONE ; because IF WE                                            H.. A. Van Putten.


180     '     '                          T H E   S T A N D A R `D   `B E A R E R

                   Contribtition                              their concept of a ."conditional  promise" in baptism.
                                                              That alone. is the bone of contention in our circles.
              -                                               Can  .we speak of  conditiqns in  t&e reformed sense?
                                Holland, Michigan             If we can, then may we, by declaration, officially af-
                                December 26, i950             ~-firm  that the protiises ,of God are unconditional? If
Dear Editor:                                                  the answer to the former is "yes" then to.ihe latter we
   If possible will you please place the following in must say "no". In the discussion of this question we
the Standard Bearer?                                          must be careful to remain brotherly and honest with
                                                              one another. Let us keep a warm *heart and a co'01
                       THE ISSUES?                            head. Let us not label as Arminian, Pelagian, .or Heyn-
                                                              sian those who argue for conditions. WE ARE ALL
   In our discussions of "conditions" and `"The Brief PROTESTANT REFORMED ! (although, in passing,
Declaration of Principles" I believe we very often fail       I would like to repeat what others have said: namely,
to properly distinguish &he real issues involved. Con- that some who defend conditions do not sufficiently
sequently many insinuations and charges are hurled make clear their position). We, personally, have never
back and forth which, if the issues were properly ,eval-      heard one Protestant Reformed man deny that God
uated and understood, would never be made. It is be- fulfills all conditions. On the other hand we have ex-
`cause we are convinced of this that we put forth this perienced that, in a group discussion, those who earn-
effort to smooth the waters and conserve the unity of         estly oppose conditions have been forced to admit that
our churches. We would also make the plea that we             iri a certain sense there is a conditionality to the prom-
carry on our discussion as brethren who are seeking ises of God. But they would rather nbt use that word.
the truth, an'd one another, in love.                         `They would like to term it sotiething el'se. It should
   With the. above `in mind, we would set forth some be borne in mind that this position stems from a sin-
thoughts which we have gathered in our study of the cere love for the Truth of Sovereign Grace and a fear-
discussions, both in our papers and in personal conver- that the continued use' of'the word condition may en-
sations. It has become clear to us that there are two         danger the retainment of that truth by our Protestant
distinct issues involved. The conception of the "`Liber-      Reformed "Churches. On the other `hand we must also
&ted" `churches in re the covenant and baptism, and           bear in mind that those who take the -opposite stand
the conception of "conditions" in our own Protestant are also motivated b$ love for our churches and that
`ieformed theology.                                           their fear is that we may become unbalanced in our
   With respect to the former we make bold to assert' t$eology by failing to etiphasize  the responsibility of
that we have ho reason to believe that any of our man. In the heat of the  .discussion  these two fears
ministers agree with the views which are generally- have becolrie so magnified in our minds that we begin
accepted by us as being those of t@.e "liberated" chur-       to speak of our foundations being shaken, our walls
ches. In all the published articles no one has embraced       crumbling, and our future at stake. We  dravG up a
those views, but on the contrary have expressed dis-          "Declaration" we- don't' need. We almost bring up the
agreement. We refer here, of course, to the concep-           age-old.eharge, "doth not this domctrine  make men care-
tions of the "Liberated" on such questions as: what is        less and-profane". Let's put the concept of "condition-
the covenant?, who are in the covenant ?, etc.. Ex-           ality" back in its proper place in .our theology and re-
perience has taught us that their view has led in the         turn to our fbrmer unity and trust of one another !
wrong direction. -How else would we &ccou& for the             What is that place? There is-a place. There has
fact that amongst them we find Arminian and Heyll-            been a place for twenty-five years. But that place
Sian individuals? None of us, I am sure, would want           is not on the foreground. WE have not found it neces-
an open-door policy over against that conception. If          sary to sp&k of conditions veu'y often. The reformed
that were th_e only issue involved I believe there would      `bfathers" composed the confessions without having to
be little or no opposition to the adoption of the "Declar-    use the word, although the idea may be found in such,
ation  ,of Principles". But the issue of the concept of portions as ,Article  5, 2nd head of doctrine, `Canons ;
"conditions" in our own theology is also involved and article 8, 3rd and .4th. The word js not found in such
therein lies the reason for @e discussion in our midst. works as the "Exposition of the Heidelberg Cate-
   I! ,has been our experience that whenever we, as           chism", "In' the Sanctuary", "Whosoever Will", and
societ$, consistory,  or otherwise, begin to discuss the      others from the pen of Rev. H. Hoeksema. "If our
"Declaration" we find ourselves immediately in a con- ministers used the word in their sermons it was so in-.
troversy over "conditions". The oth&r issue is rarely frequently that ii passed unnoticed..
brought up. We realize, of course, that the second                The word has been used -occasionally to refute
isstie arose' out of a discussion of the Liberated view, charges brought against our emphasis)of the doctrine
in which the writer refused to condemn `them for              of Sovereign Grace. It was used recently to arouse us


                                                 7x-m          STANDARD                    BEARER,~                      I                181

     out of spiritual lethargy as churches. It probably was                                                                          .
     used occasionally by our ministers in  th+ sermons.                               Hseh3s~Weeding and
     When used in those isolated instances it never was chal-
     $nged or protested.' So, for twenty-five years,  con-                                     Ecclesiastical Bifocals ' '
     di$ions .had their proper place among us.. That proper
     place was way back on the shelf, to be brought out                             Withh- considerable interest and also some amaze-
     only  {when occasion' required. We hape items like that ment we have.read the eviseration of oux recent con-
     in our nature1 life. Things, though good in themselves,                     tribution wherein we attempted $0 state why we con-
     which we would not-partake of every day, riot only be-                      sidered the adoption of the Deelarition undesirable.
     cause it might lead to `harm for ourselves but might                           We appreciate -the ,fact that the Rev. Ophoff has
     also lead our children astray. .And Yet we keep them feit it worthy of his time and talent to take this ma-
     on hand for the time when tie .might need them for t,erial and-not only to comment upon it in- general bu,t
     their medicinal value. But we keep them way back .to treat it paragraph by paragraph and express his
     on the shelf. Let's do that with the words "condition" ~ opinion not only on those tlkings wherein we disagree
     and %onditional". And then let's not apologize for but also here ancl there to express agr.ee&ent.
     the times we have found it necessary to use it. L e t 's                       However, I b&g to be excused from  s.ome of .the
     not ban the "medicine" from our  cupboar'd  with de- conclusions .which he draws. - I do not say that they
     clarations. The Three Forms of Unity are sufficient to                      coz& not beg drawn but rather that they are not the
     ban the "poison" of Arminianism'and  Hejmsianism.                           simple meaping which I intended and-which I expected
         But don't we need the-""Declaration" in dealing with should have been un,derstood  by all. Let hs 6hen blame
     the "liberated" in Canada? .I do hot b&eve that we do.                      it to my awkward pen and faulty thought structure.
     We should draw up instead a `form for prospective con-
     gregations and individual members to sign which  would                       I  For example I did not state that all who are in
     demand the following :                                                    favor of  the Declaration would, as it were, spew the
                                                                                 Giberated out of their mouth. I do not know. I would
     1. -Agreement with the Word` of God and the Three                           not even venture a guess either numeiically or per-
         Forms of, Unity.                                                        centagewise. But you and I both know that there are
     2. A  prOIT&%?   t0  be  Willing   tQ  COII'E   LUldfX  the  instryc-  Some  who  say:  `"Those liberate&bah  19' And I am
        tion and  preaching of the  qrstesta,nt Reformed                         very glad that the Reverend is not.one  of them.
         Churches.                                                              : But; the Reverend supplies us with a very fitting
     3. A promise`not to militate against thg protestant Re-                     definition of the Declaration. He, calls it the hoe with
        f o r m e d   d o c t r i n e .                                          which we are to remove the weeds, of error. Further,
         Less than this we cannot demand. More than this                         he also claims that we cannot weed `wjthout a hoe.
     is superfluous.        By demanding agreement to these And with this I disagr.ee. I believe that there is a time
     three *points  we safeguard- ,our precious heritage ; we                    when we must get down on our hands and knees even
     leave to the preaching of the Word and catechetical'in-                     as the muck-farmers do with their celery and onions.
     struction the task of opening  and closing the door;                        And why do they do so? Why do they not use a hoe?
     and we have a signed promise tom use in case anyone                         With a hoe' they could save themselves much back-
     militates against  the Truth.                                               breaking labor. They could stand upright and with
                                             H. H. Windem&er.
          I                                                                     mighty strokes clean. their fields. Ah, but they know
                                                                                thhat the plants are young arid tender and those lil$le
                                -:-                                              plants would be in danger of being sliced od with the
                -                                                                weeds:. nThey are wise and willing to prostrate the&-
                              IN  IVIEMO~IAM   I                                 selves under the heat of the sun rather than to take an
      , It pleased the Lord our God -to take: iurto  Himself by the hand easier method and endanger their crop.               e
     .of .death,  <our  beloved brother and fellow member,                          And again, the Reverend- disagrees when I state
                         W i l l i a m   J3olleman                            ; that declarations are a sign of weakness in the church.
     at the age .of twenty-five years.                                           Allow me to use another figure. Let us consider it
       .,Our fervent prayer-arises to the throne of gr.ace that the God         this way : ,With & perfect vision we could so clearly see
     of tall comfort may by His Word and Splirit  abundantly comfort             the meaning that we could use only the Scriptures.
     the bereaved family and friends. May the widow  ,and child                  But, since our vision is impaired and we see darkly,
     especially experience the-  Lord's blessed nearness.                       .we have quite properly added confessions which, to
       This loss, which we believe is our brother',s  gain, serves. as an-      stay with the figure, are spectacles (eye-glasses) en-
     #other  exhortation to us all to',seek  *he things that are <above and
     not the things that iare on earth.                                         abling us to more clearly and in a systematic manner
                                     Edgerbon   Men's  Society,                 see the truths of the Word.
                                             ,B. Gritters,  Seceetary. .            But what now is a s`ign of weakness? It is wher,


L


       182                   `/.            T H E   S T A N D A R D :   B.EARER
                        -
       the oculist says, "I'm afraid we'll have to make your
       next pair bifocals."' And yet, through these bifocals          Rev. Petter's S&h Instahfmt
       you'll still see the same thing but they serve only to
       magnify the objects which  .appear before them. I do          Rev. Petter does not write the truth about-the f"De:
       not believe that we as a denomination are'that senile.     claration". He does not write the truth about us, who
       And I do not- like to see the spectacles of our confes-    urge the adoption of the "Declaration". He does not
       sions reground in certain spots. .They. will certainly     write the truth  -about our last Synod by whom the
       be strange looking~ spectacles if we, each time a new      "Declaration'! was drafted and tentatively adopted.
       situation arises cut other menisci into them:              He .does not write the truth. about Rev. Hoeksema.
              Privately I have asked what we would do were we     He brings us Bone- and all under a `thick cloud. I have
       called upon to labor ,among our pre-millenialists -or need of making this plain.
       baptists. Would each new situation require a new'             1. First to be considered is this excerpt from Rev.
       declaration ?                                              Petter's writings : "As to the origination (of the "De-
        And I cannot help but be reminded of the- advice          claration") there already has been some brow-raising
       which James gives in Acts 15 :19:' Those Gentiles too      and it is no wonder that Rev. Blankespoor came with
       may have had many doctrinal impe>fections  but they questions in the Standard Bearer as to the motive of
       would lay no greater burden upon them than that they       the origination' of the document. It certainly is the
       abstain from .pollutidns  of idols and fornication `and    concern of our people how things that they are re-
       things strangled, and blood. In other words, the mini- sponsible for originate,," writes Rev. Petter, meaning
       mum requirements.  '                                       to say that he. is going to tell them. ("Concordia" for
         And now, in closing, there remains one more thought      Dec. 7) :'
       wherein the Reverend and I agree so .well:  He calls          Remark: I don't like these statements.' They are
     - attention to the fact that essentially every sermon is     bad statements for several reasons, the chief of which
       a declaration. And he is so correct. Normally then         is that, taken together, they leave the impression that
       we hear one hundred .and four declarations per year.       in Rev. Petter our people have a conductor of a kind
       And eaCh one is a facet on the stone of the Truth of       of "`News Behind the News" column, the revealer of
:      God's Word. And as each ray penetrates the inmost hidden and questionable synodical transactions that
       recesses of our hearts it reflects the virtues of Him      our people may not know and would never get to know-
       who speaks to us through'that Word. And so power-          ing, were it not for Rev. Petter's skill at getting to the
       ful is that preaching that although there be three ear-    bottom of things (definitely to the bottom of the'origin-
       marks of the true church, yet is the preaching of the      ation of the  I "Declaration") and for his courage to
       Word the chief and indispensable one.                      publish his findings.
          But, let us become concrete. Surely the Reverend           This impression is deepened by Rev. Petter's telling
       and I both know that outside of the younger genera-        his readers that the statement of. Rev. Hoeksemato the
       tion many who are today Protestant Reformed owe this       effect`that  synod heeded the request of the Mission
       inheritance to a diligent attention to the preaching of    Committee and adopted the +Declaration",-this  state-
       the Word and instruction from our faithful pastors.        ment of Rev. Hoeksema, according to,Rev. Petter, "is
       And if those means which *God has given us fail (as we     a slip-shod expression that completely reverses the
       count failure) surely man-given .dealarations  will not facts". `According to Rev. Petter, "it is not true in
       and cannot succeed (as we count success).           *'     any sense that the synod heeded the request' of' the
        -- I repeat, don't go through the ,Canadian Customs `Mission Committee". ("Concordia for Dec. 21).
       omce with a hoe over your shoulder nor much less              Mark you, Rev. Hoeksema, according to Rev.  ,Petter,
       a bull-doze;. It will be much more fitting to the dig-j reversed the facts,s  which is equivalent to saying that
                                                                  at least apparently he does not want our people to
       nity of the cloth if you cross the- border with a Bible    know how things that they are responsible for origin-
       under one arm and the three forms of unity under the       a t e .
       other. And if wi.th tools such as these we camlot or          But let me continue with my article. The truth
       will not work or' if we sup,pose  that with a hoe and      w i l l   o u t .                     0           . .
       bifocals we more properly identify ourselves we may           2. As we just saw, .Rev. Petter maintains that the
       as well admit that we are afraid of losing our identity    origination of the "Declaration" causes brow-raising;
       whereas it could not be better preserved than it is now    that, in other words, it is the product of a series of
       by the lively proclamation of the Word.                    unethical synodical acts. Is this true? The "Acts"
                                                                  of Synod, 1950; reveals that it is, not true. It reveals,
                                      Respectfully,               does the "Acts" that the "Declaration" is the product
                                      Geo. Ten Elshof;            of.a series of synodical acts strictly orderly, legal, and


                                   .           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .                                     183
                                                                               /
   thus ethical, absolutely  so., Here are the facts as glean- formed Churches, and that it be forwarded to con-
   ed from the ,"Acts" of Synod (pp; 52-54).                          sistories for consideration.
          The Mission Committee received from various                                               Art. 64           `
groups in Canada a request to state what is binding in                   "A substitute motion is made to re-submit this
 the communion of Protestant R-eformed  churches. The matter to the committee of pre-advice, and to add the
   Mission Committee replied that, and now I quote (from twojprofessors  as advisors to this committee.
   the Acts) : "although we do not feel that it lies within
   our jurisdiction to give answer to this question,- we do                            Friday Afternoon Session
  ' not-hesitate to express that the Word .of ,God and the              .'                          Art. 66
   Three Forms of Unity, as interpreted by us overagainst                "Mr. R. Doezema opens the afternoon session with
   the theory of `common grace', and also the theory of               a word of prayer. The Rev. H. Hoeksema again serves
   `general grace', as expressed in the `Three Points' of             as ,delegate.
   1924, are binding in our churches."                                                 . .           Art.  6'7`
          At the same time the Mission Committee addressed
   to the Synod (1950) the following request : `6We would                "After further discussion the substitute motion of
   appreciate having something uniform and definite to                article 64 carries."
   present. to these groups, particularly when they request               Synod's enlarged committee of pre,advice did its
   organization: Therefore,  your committee  raquesti work, and on the following Monday evening reported.
   synod to cLraw up a form that may be us,ed by those
   families req&sting organization  @to a Prbtestamt Re- a' I again  quote  the "Acts"' '
   f ormki? congregation. We believe that this would serve                             Monday Evening Session
   to remove all misunderstanding and aid towarcl unity.                                      A r t .   1 1 5
   (italics-C.)            _                                          "The meeting is called to order. The Rev. Hanko
          Synod (1950) did as the Mission Committee  re-- leads in prayer.
   quested. It instructed its committee of pre-advice to
   draw                                                                                             Art.  Ii6
              LIP  for our missionaries such a "form" that
   "could be `used by those families requesting. organiza-                "The Rev. G. Vos reads the report of the committee
tion."                                  . .                           (the report of Synod's enlarged committee of  pre-
          Synod's committee of pre-advice did its work and            advice to whom the f`Form" had been re-submitted-Q.
   reported to synod as follows :                                     Cf. Art. -63, 64, and 67). The document read bears the
          "Your committee of  preiadvice advises:                     title, `A Brief Declaration of Principles of the Pro-
   2. In re point II of the report, dealing with the matier           testant Reformed Churches'."  D
          of an adopted "Form" for requests. for organiza-               I again quote the minutes :
          tion :                                                                                    Art. 116
          a. To adopt the following clear-cut expression as              "Motion is made to accept the document as drawn
   . . `one which should appear in each request for or- up by the committee of ,pre-advice and to act according
             ganization, along with the, denial of common to the three propositions found at the conclusion of the
             grace and the Three Points of 1924, and profes-          document. The motion carries."
             sion of adherence to the Three Forms of Unity               The three propositions found at the conclusion of
             and the Church Order of `Dordrecht  and profess- the "document" (The Declaration) read :                '
             ing the Scriptures to be the infallible Word of
             `God (as stands to reason) : ,`The promise of the / ;        1. That synod subject this entire document to the
             Gospel, both as to the will of God tosave His                    approval of the churches.
             people and the execution of His will to save them,          2. If no.objection  is offered, to adopt this at our
             is not general, that-is, it does not include all the             next synod. .
             baptized children of the church, but is particular,         3. To adopt this in the meantime as a working hy-
             that is, it pertains only to the elect of God.'                  pothesis for our mission committee and for our
          b. ~TO send the above proposed expression to all the                missionaries in the organization of churches".
             consistories for their reactions and to advise them         Remarks. Such is the history of the origination of
             to bring findings to Synod via Classis, since such the "New Declaration" as recorded in the "Acts of
             proposed action ought to follow the proper Re-           Synod". And I now challenge Rev. Petter or anyone
             formed Church Political way of consistory, classis       else to point to a single statement in this record indica-
           and synod."                                                tive of a brow-raising act or actions. on the part of
          I continue to quote:the "Acts" as follows:                  synod regarding its origination of the "Declaration".
          "A motion is made that this-proposed form be used           No such statement at all occurs. I maintain that what
   by groups desiring organization as Protestant  Re-                 this record reveals is that the series of synodical  acts


                                                                                                                 t
           184 .                                   T H E       .STANDA                  .E.ARER             e

             that resulted in tile appearance of the "Declaration" the request-in the fullest sense; `3) that  so far was
             was strictly orderly, legal in the point of view of the re- Synod from working at something altogether different
             quirements of the Church horder,  and therefore also from what the Mission .Committee  had requested (Rev.
             ethical, .absolutely  so. I challenge Rev. Petter to dis-      Petter's contention), that it certainly did work pre-
           i prove this statement of mine and thus to `prove his own
                               .                                            cisely at what the Mission Committee had in mind and
             accusation with the "`Acts" of Synod. He cannot do it. accordingly had requested; -4) that Synod also gave
             And therefore he should retract. It is not a small             the Mission' Committee exactly what it had in mind
             thing openly to bring, a whole Synod under a cloud.            and accordingly had requested ; 5) that therefore Rev.
                 2. Rev. Petter's latest article `(""Concordia" for Dee,    Hoeksema spoke the truth and not untruth (Rev. Pet- '
             21) sets out .as follows:                                      ter's contention), in saying.that Synocl heeded the MS-
                 "It is of interest to our churches to know what the        sion Committee's request and adopted the "Declara-
             request of the Mission Committee was and what be-              tion", that thus this statement of Rev. Hoeksema is not
             came of this request at Synod."                                a slip-shod expression that completely reverses the
                 Here R,ev. Petter means to be promising our people         facts.            - .
             that he will tell them what became of this request of             Proof for these five contentions.
             the Mission Committee at  Synod,the  request that                First to be examined are Rev. Petter's very own
             Synod provide'it with something uniform and definite           statements. I quote the following from his pen:
             to present to groups of immigrants `when they request             "And because of such requests the Mission Corn:
             organization into Protestant Reformed congregations.           mittee asked Synod for. something uniform to present
     `=      Let us take notice of what Rev. Petter tells our people `- to those groups, particularly when they request organ-
             as to what became of this request of the Mission Com-          ization. And when the Committee of Pre-advice whkh
             mittee. It is this:                                            was quite welE aequaktecl with the worczC and problems
                 "Synods simply ignored  .their  request. .  ~  `. It is    of the  MGsion  Cbmmittee,  catie with its pre-advice
             not true in any sense that Synod heeded the,,request.          they proposed : (italics-O.)
             One gets the impression (from the "Acts of Synod",                a) to adopt the following  cleareut expression as
             Rev. Petter means) that Synod completely forgot the                       one which should appear in each request for
             request of the Committee. and began to work at some-                      organization ete.r(see  above for the rest of this
             thing altogether different."                                              report-O.)
                R.emark.       We should know what Rev. Petter means           `"Thus far point a) of the advisory Committee.
             by these statements, This appears from the following           T+s it  2:s  qwite plain  what, kind  o$ a  statement or
             sentences-from his pen:                                        formula the M&&x Committee-had in m&d `(italics
                `"Thus it is plain what kind (mark you well, what           -0.) ("Concordia" for Dee. 7).                        -
             kG&-0.) of statement or formula the Mission Corn:                 Let us take notice. According to the above-cited
             mittee had in mind'.' (Concordia, for Dec. 7).                 italicized statements from Rev. Petter's pen, the "tfor-
0               This statement from Rev. Petter's pen clarifies the         mnla" that was proposed to Synod by its Committee of
             point that he argues. It is .thi's : What synod ignored        pre-advice is precisely what the Mission ,Com.nGttee
             is not the Mission Committee's request as such but its         had in mind. It is exactly the kind of "Formula" the
             request for $1&e Ikincl of statement or formula that it        Mission Committee. wanted and had requested.
             h.acl in rind.                                                    WhatRev. Petter here tells ~1s is indeed true. As
                But this is not true. But let us suppose that it is         he himself says, this appears, and I .now quote him,
             true..How could that be a just cause for brow-raising?; "from their own answers (the answers of the Mission
             Is Synod obliged to heed its commi,ttee's  requests and Committee-C.) to certain letters of groups (Canadian
             adopt their advice ? Is Synod the servant of its com-          immigrants) and from the wording of their request
             mittees? Or are the  synodical  committees servants            (the request of the Mission Committee-C.).  ("Con-
             of the Synod? The latter, to be sure.                          cordia" for Dec. 7). A sample of the Mission Com-
                But it isn't even true that Synod ignored the MYa- mittee's answers to "these. groups" (Canadian immi-
             sion Committee's request for t&e Gincl of fprmda that          grants) is found `on page 53 and 54 of the "Acts" of
             it hacl in mind. `I can and shall prove from the "A&s          Synod, 1950.
             of Synod" and, strange as this may soulad, from Rev.              But let us now pay strict attention. If, as Rev.
             Petter's own statements 1) that so far was Synod `Petter says, the "formula" that was proposed to Synod
             from ignoring the Mission Committee's request for the ,by its committee of pre-adviee is precisely what the
             h&d of formula that it had in mind (Rev. Petter's eon..        Mission Committee had in mind and had requested,
             tention)  ' that Synod took full cognizance of it; 2) that then it mz& follow that the f`New Declaration" is pre-
             so far was `Synod from not in any sense heeding the            cisely what the Mission Committee had. in mind and
             request (Rev, Petter's.  contention)`. that it did heed
                                                         /                  had requested. And. why? Simply because the ""New
                                                                                         *
                                              b


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             185

       Declaration" &--mark  y&i, I say-&--the very  "For            it is evident that the Mission Cominittee with the call-
       mula" proposed to Synod by its Committee of  pre-             ing church should have composed such a form if they
       advice clar@ed, improved a$ found&  upon our' Con-            felt the necessity of it in their work."           ,
       fessions. A comparison of the two fully bears out the                This re?soning of Rev. Petter is old. It already has
       truth of this statement of mine.                              been twice advanced, once by Rev. Blankesptior in !`The
           1. Both the, "Formula" [proposed to Synod by its          Standard Bearer" for Oct.`~l, and again in this same
       committee of pre-advice) and the "New Declaration" magazine by Rev. Kok. And we all `know  hdw well
       repudiate Common grace and the Three Points of 1924.          Rev. Hoeksema succeeded in exposing the fallacy of
           2. Both the "Formula" and the "New Declaration" this reasoning. Why then  mu&t Rev. Petter appear
       profess adherence to the Three Forms of Unity and             with it anew in the "Concordia"?. I would like to
       the Church <Order of Dordrecht.                               know. All he does is to repeat the `old argument. He
           3. Both the "Formul,a" and the "New Declaration" makes no attempt at r.efutation of the argument of
       limit the promise of the Gos,pel only to the elect in the     Rev.  HoekSema.  He.chooses  simply to ignore it. This
       sense that both declare-it to bi! the will of God to save     i s   t h o r o u g h l y   discoura&ng.  '
     d only the, elect  and not all the baptized.                           ISynod is not guilty of overriding the Church Order
          4. Thus the  implie`d teaching of the "Formula" in heeding the request of the Mission Committee. Nor
       also must be that the promise of God is an oath be-           is this committee guilty of overriding the Church-`Order
       queathing salvation .only on the. e$ct and thus a prom-       in ,directing  to- Synod its-request for a formula.
       &e unconditional and unfailing.                                      Isn't the followitig as plain as the sun in a cloudless
           5. In a  word,%  sub&antially, the "Formula" (pro-        &ky at midday?  Name!7  :
       posed .to Synod by its committee of pre-advice) and                  1) That Art. 30 of the Church Order distinguishes
      - the "Declaration". are one a?cl the same document.           two kinds of matters:
          Herewith I have proved with the "Acts of Synod'.'                   `a) such as originate and, if possible, must be
       in conjunction with  Rev; Petter's own statements every                     finished in;the minor assemblies (consistory
       one of my five contentions.         And I challenge Rev.                    and classis).
       Petter to prove with the "Acts of ISynod" the contrary.                 b) such as pertain to the churches of the major
       He cannot possibly do it. How truly amazing there-                          assembly. (Synod) in common, and that.
      ,for& that' he could write : "It is not true in any sense       .-           therefqre ds not originate in the minor as-
       that Synod heeded the request (The Mission  Corn-                           semblies to be dealt with and, if. possible,
       mittee's reQuest for the kind of "Formula" that it had                      finished in them.. (See the last @us& of the
     in mind-O.). One gets the impression that the Synod _                         article which,. strange to say, Rev. Petter
       completely forgot the request of the (@ission) Com-                         o+erlooked, but which reads: "or such as
      mittee and .began to work at something altogether dif-                       pertain to the churches of the major as-
       fepent. For look  what we now have. (We have the                          ' sembly in common).
       ("New  Declanation" Rev. Petter means to say). ("Cbn-                2) That our Mission work pertains to the churches
      cordia" for Dec. 21).                                          of the major assembly (synod  j  in common.
          Yes, indeed, look what we now have!-precisely
     what the Mission Committee  raquested.,  >So, `let Rev.                3) That therefore the management of our Mission
       Petter look again at what we have. Albd, if he can,           work pertains to the churches .of the major assembly
       let him point out the essential difference between the        (Synod) in common, and that, accordingly, Art. 51 of
       Formula and the "New Declaratitin".                           the iChurch ,Order_.ruies  that `"the missionary work of
                                                                     the churches is regzdatecl  by the general Synod in a
         - 4. There is still a third failt that Rev. Petter Jinds    Mission `Order:"
       with Synod (1960). Synod ignore,d a principle of Re-
       formed Church government laid down in, Art. 30 of __                 4) That therefore the management bf mission work
'      the Church -Order that "in major assemblies only such         is done nbt in consistory and.not in the classis but in
       matters shall be dealt with as could not be fillisheg in      the majo: assembly (Synod) alone.
       minor assemblies." Synod violated this principle when                5) That the manageinent of mis'sion  work includes
       it heeded the Mission Committee's request for`s form-         also providing the Missioq Corn-mittee with-a for@mla.
       ula to be used by families requesting organization.                  6) .That Synod therefore did not override Art. 30
       Quoting Rev. Petter, "The logical thing fpr Synod to          of the Church Order in providing the Mission Com-
       do when the request of the Mission Committee came             mittee with a Formula.             1
       on- the floor was to, decline- its consideration on the              7)  ~That the Mission  ,Committee  did not  dverride
       basis of the fact that it belpnged to a minor gathering" Art. 30 of the Church Order in by-passing the con-
       in thi; case the ,Consistory of Fuller Ave. (the calling      sistory and clas_sis by .coming  directly to Synod with
       church), Rev. Petter means. For he al,so states, f`Thus       its request for a formula.

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

      Let Rev. Petter now prove that the, Church Order             ing  it.. What is this principle. This is evident from
  withholds from Synod the right to compose a form                 the following lines from the brother's pen. He -writes :
  a$ that it bestows this right sol&iy on the consistory                   "Then the readers can judge  whethex the Synod
and the Mission  !Committee.  That this precisely is                    (1950) could truthfully appeal to the underlying prin-
  Rev.~ Petter's contention is evident from the following          ciple of Art. 31 and say, "this is the best that worthy
  lines from his pen, "And then it strikes our attea%ion           servants to ,whom' the oldest and most experienced,
  that this request should .never have been treated by             you have entrusted the formulation of your faith are
  Synod. . . . `Thus it is evident that the iV&sion Com-           able to do. This we consider so carefully and thor-
  mittee with the calling chwch should have composed               oughly carried through the whole process of ripening
  such a form if they felt the necessity of it and used it         and formulation that is the best our Churches  can
 in their work."                                                   produce."
         It's amazing that Rev. Petter failed to realize that              So  then, the principle underlying this article is'
  by this  *statement  he overturns his  .v&ol'e position.         that synod must make it possible and permissible for
  Attend to what he s'ays, "Not Synod but t&e mission itself to declare that its formularies, doctrinal deliver-
  conzm&ee-mark  you, the mission cpmmittee-should                 ances, are tl;le best that the churches assembled in
  have composed such a form." But isn't the mission                synod can produce. I certainly have no `objection to
  committee a committee of synod? Let us take notice This principle as such. Whether it def?nitely  underlies
  how `"The Constitution of the Mission Committee" de-             Art. 31 is'quite another question to which I shall re-
  fines this committee' as follows': The mission com- turn in the sequel. But the principle as such is a sound
  mittee of the Protestant Reform.ed  Churches is a com-           one, I believe.
  mittee chosen by synod to-regulate and supervise all             _       Rev. Petter also shows hoti'synod  makes this prin-
  missionary activity prescribed and delegated to it by *ciple to live, namely, by allowing its doctrinal deliver-
  synod. Hence' the committee & a synodica!  committee,            arice ,or formulary to pass through a correcting, im-
  and resjponsible  on& to synod for all its actions.              proving and developing proceqs first in the consistory'
         If this is true, how can the mission committee have       then in classis,  and finally in synqd. Let us hear Rev.
  the right in question and not the synod? This is im-             Petter on this point. He writes:
 . possible. For it is precisely synod and synod  al&e                     "FOC it is understood that such a product (doctrinal
  that bestows upon the mission committee whateyer                 deliverance-o.) is `proposed by a mtimber who brings
  rights it exercises. How can synod bestow rights `forward, the best he can as to form and content' with
  whichit does not have, and which it may not itself               this he goes to thb consistory, where it is again serious-
  also exercise, if it so chooses?         b                       ly considered, controlled, corrected, improved. The
         And this brings us to the question: How can the           improving, developing process is again repeated in
  right in question belong to synod and at once to the             classis. It then finally comes to Synod, where the
  lone consistory (of the calling church) to the exclusion         eldest, most, experienced, once .more  carefully weigh,
  of synod and thus of all the other churches. This is             consider, improve, perfect the prbjected deliverance or
  impossible.                -                                     d e c i s i o n . "
                                                                          ,. But certainly, if observing the principle that under-.
         It seems to me that Rev. Petter should retract also       lies Art. 31 consists in allowing the doctrinal deliver-
  this charge-the charge that synod ignored the prin-              anee to pass through such a developing process,  synod
  ciples of Reformed church government laid down in                     (1950) cannot possibly be guilty of having iriolated  it.
  Art. `30 of the Church ,Order. For, I repeat, it is not               For it decided to "`subject this entire document `("New
  a small thing to bring a whole synod under a cloud.              Declaration") to the approval of the churches. Hence,
         Rev. Petter kven has a fourth fault to find with the if our churches have been availing themselves of their
  &nod (1950) . . Synod violated also the  und&lying                    opportunities, then by the time of the convening of the
  principle of Art. 31 of the Church Order, an article             cbming synod, the "New Declaratiod" will have passed
  that reads :                                                     through such an improving, developing process in all
         "If anyone complain that ,he has been wronged by our c&sistories and in both our' classes. This is inevit-
  the decision of a minor assembly,' he shall have thi             able, seeing that the  ,"Declaration",  was drafted by
  right to appeal to a major ecclesiastical assembly, and          synod in compliance with the request of the Mission
  whatever may be agreed upon by a majority vote shall                  Coqittee and then given to the churches for study
  b& considered settled and binding, unless it be -proved          and approbation. Yet, this does not satisfy Rev. Petter.
  to conflict with the Word of God or witli the articles of             He still insists that synod is guilty of violating the
  the Church Order, as long as they are not changed by             principle underlying Art. 31.
  a general &nod."                                                         Grounds for this charge of Rev. Pette; will be con-
         Rev. Petter accuses synod of violating not the letter `sidered  in,the following article.
   of this article nor its .spirit but the priticiple  underly-                                                G. Msm.tiphoff.


                                     THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              187
                                                                       ._
                                                                   And the writer to the  Hebrews  gives us a most
                                                                wonderful ground to encourage and strengthen us in
                                                                the "holding fast". It is the statement in the latter
                                                                part ,of verse 23, which reads : "For He that hath prom-
                                                                ised is faithful."
 I) Ex@sition Of~Hebrews 10:19-25                                 This statement from the `pen of the sacred writer
                            IX.        `.                       gives rise to various qtiestions.
                                                                   The  first' question that it gives rise to is: Is the
    There are two facts, which we f,eel have been estab-        faithfulness of God merely  $he assigned reason for
lished by us in our exposition of Hebrews PO :23.               the'holding fast, or does this faithfulness- of God refer
  >The first of these  iS; that  the  `)Confession  of  the     to the immutable certainty of the fulfillment of the
Hope" is not merely a subjective hope, but that it              hope. We believe that it refers to the entire admoni-
refers to ihe entire'hope of the Promise of the ,Gospel,        tion to hold fast, including the certainty of the things
as it h&s been principally and legally realized through         hoped fqr. And the reason for holding this position
the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and -is that such is first of all the very natural sense. Then,
as it shall ultimately ano finally be realized in, the re-      too, the statement of the faithfulness of God is stated
turn of Christ; when we shall see Him as the First-             very generally. The faithfulness df <God  is here stress-
born Son, Lord of lords and King of kings, the Heir             ed, as He is the promisirzg  one. And surely His prom-
over all things ih the glory of His Father, in the eternal      ise'is not merely a promise, an assurance to those who
Kingdom, when the Tabernacle of God shall- be with              persevere that they will have the victory, but the prom-
man.                                                            ise of God is the last ground for the realization of the
    The second matter that we called attention- to is,' entire Counsel of God as it pertains to the glory of His
`that the beLi.ever  is- indeed admonished to "hold fast" name and the salvation of the saints. And the preach-
to this great confessioh  of the hope-the hope thsit is         ing df this promise, and the reminding of the faith-
laped  away for u,s in heaven, ?nd set, before our believ-      fulness of God, is the Gdd-ordained means by which
ing eyes in  the promise of the  .Gospel. And, in this          the Holy Spirit stitiul&tes  us to believing perseverance.
connection in the former article, we noticed that `this         There is nothing that so calls forth cheerful confidence
"holding fast': is the cleed, the act of the elect believer.    in the hearts of the elect as to be reminded that GOD, '
He, the believer, holds fast;  H,e is very really the Who has PRlOMISED `is FAITHFUL ! That puts cour-
spiritual psychological s$@iect of the deed. And he is          age in our hear,ts. That is the watch-word that must
this solely by virtue of the grace  r,e&ived.  And,  we         resound  froth the pulpit. And it is with this word
hasten tol add, that this-our act of faith is at the.same       that we comfort and encourage one another. And,
time so much worked into us by God that not only the            therefore, I hold that this statement concerning the
will to believe is wrought in us by God, but,that even          faithfulness of the God Who has promised is that
the very act of believing also is wrought in us by the          which und'erlies this entire admonition; it irefers both
Holy Spirit. Canons of Dort III, IV, Art. 14.                   to that which we hold on to, and to the "holding fast"
    In close connection with the -foregoing paragraph it itself. The Promise givei. the assurance of the realica-
must once more be. emphasized, that ,God keeps us               tion of salvation for us and in us, and the preaching
active in the strife as elect-believers also, by means of       of it gives us the glad assurance whereby we hold fast.
the "exhortations, threatenings and promises of the                Then, tod, it .should not:escape  our notice, that the
Word", Canons V, 14. And we  .would here remind writer to the Hebrews evidently wishes, in this state-
ourselves that it is good Reformed doctrine, and that ment, to direct all of our attention to the faithfulness
too in Conf,essional  statement that "grace is conferred        of  Him,  Who  has promised. And  the form of the
by means of admonitions" upon those who heed these              word-employed. in the Greek indicates that this Prom-
admonitions and keep these precepts. God,  iti  other           ise has been given once and for all.  It-may be re-
`words, works in us to will and to do, yes, eventhe very        peated in various given instances.  Bdt it is always
act  of faith by means of the admonitions. And the the same Promise. Nothing is ever really ad.ded to it.
connection .between these admonitions and the mys-              All that is told us later about this Promise is simply a
terious and wonderful opertition of the Holy Spirit in more specifid  unfolding of its content. It is God Who
the `elect-believers, cannot be' fully comprehended by has promised once, and it shall not repent Him. That.
believers in this life. Canons III, IV,`13.                     stands. Thus the writer here Gould evidently under-
    However, the need `of the admonitions as a part UF          score; Th'en,  too, we should notioe that in the Greek
the Divine pedagogy of Grace stands. This pedagogy              all ,emphasis  falls on the word "faithful" ! "Faith-fu2
is employed by the writer of the Hebrews when He                is the ,One having,Procmised".  The, ultimate certainty
admonishes -us to `%old fast" to the confession of the          of the Promise rests in Him -Who has given it;`it rests
J-Lope unwavering.                                              iri His faithfulness.


                                                                    B
   188                                     T             H               E                 ~STANDAR`D-  BEARE.R

          What is this faithfdness?                                      manifestation by ,God of His 06% faithfulness to His-
          To form  so&e  cdnception  of the faithfulness  ~of .people  `,as this is rooted in His unchangeable love to
   God we may take an' example of what is considered                     us His people. The historical circumstances are well-
   faithfulness among men, among men as .God judges                      known to us all. Israel iS in bondage in E,gypt. They
   one to be faithful. Take, for example, the man, who                   are under hard and severe taskmasters. And they cry
 ,enters   into  the, work of the ministry of the Word of                unto the Lord. And thei it is that the Ldrd comes. $0
 God. Upon His entrance into the ministry he `is or-                     show His faithfulness to His own people. He-is the
 dained or installed into  office.  He.then promised be-                 same in His wondrcius  love as He Who had appeared
   fore the congregation that he will faithfully perform to Abraham. He is the "I-shall-be-who-I-shall-be".
   his duties. Whether this man is really faithful we do                      He is even at this moment,  Who He was when He
   not know until we have lived with him and observed                    spoke to Abraham more than four centuries earlier.
   him in the performance of his d<uties. It is only after               And so He -is faithful. ' He is faithful to  His Prom-
   he has finished the ministry that he can be proclaimed                i6e.
   as having been a faithful servant. And his faithful-                          And the history of Israel `is `simply repl+e with the
   ness will then be measured according to the natupe of                 evident tokens of the. faithfulness of God. It is one
   the vows that he. uttered before the face of the Lord.                grand  .exhibition of this faithfulness. To take but
   Then the Zord says i Well done, thou good and faithful two other instances we refer .you to the time of Israel's
   servant..                                                             deportition to Babylon. It is then that the faithful-
          Faithfulness is the perf o?mance  of the things prom-          ness of God  shihes forth in that wondrous word of
   ised.. Such it is among men. And such it is also with                 Proiise-as recorded in Jer. 31:31-34. This passage is
   the Lord, our God.                                                    recorded in Hebrews 8 :8-13 and in Hebrews 10 :16-17.
          Now it is true that when we compare the faithful- `In this passage the Word of the Lord assures us that
   ness of God with the faithfulness of me?,  we must be                 He will write His laws in our hearts and place them'
   car,eful that we do not bring the faithfulness of God                 in our minds. And that when this is done, then" the
   down to  our'level. For God is the Lord. And when                     new covenant is made, enacte'd upcn the better prom-
   He would teach us faithfulness by what we see in the                  ises. And thus the faithfulness of God is shone in the
   life of men, and by contrast the unfaithfulness of men,               darkest hour of Israel's history. The other instance
, ti then this is to show us how we are to condtict  ourselves           that I `have in mind is the word of the prophet IVIalachi,
   toward His faithfulness. However,  His faithfulness                   chap. 3  :8, where we read: "I Jehovah change not,
   is infinitely higher than ours!                                       therefope  ye are not consumed 0 house of Jacob"; In
          God has given us His Word of  Protiise. And to                 the last word- of the Old Testament the beacon light
   this Promise He is ,faithful. He gave this Promise,                   of prophecy that shines more2 and more unt6 the per-
   first of all, in. Paradise. And this 2+bmise is that the              fect day is grounded in the faithfulness of God to His
   Seed of the woman shall triumph over the s,eed of the                 own Promise.  !
   Serpent. And this Promise is centrally fulfilled in                           And now this faithfulness of dbd has reached its,
   the dead and resurrection of (Christ and ultimately it                zenith in these last days "in the coming of the Son in
   is fulfilled in His glorious return.             d                    the flesh. He -suffered  and died and rose again, and
          And in the fulfillment of this Promise God has                 He ascended on- high. PFesently  `He will return again
   so ordained all things in His unsearchable wisdom  and                to judge the living and the de&d. Then shall the faith-
   in `judgments that are past. tracing ou$, that the gyeat- .fulness of God be forever demonstrated to us in all
   ness of. His faithfulness comes to stand out in bold                  ihe exhibition of His goodness to  us  in the ages to
   relief from'age to age, it thus comes to stand auf be-                come..
   fore the eye of faith, and is thus also experienced by                        Our confession of the hope unmoveable rests in our
   the heirs of the $rtimi&. And whereas God had in                      confession of the faithfulness -of God. And of this
   former timits spoken of this faithfulness by the pro-                 faithfilness the. text Gemirids us. And this rernincling,
   phets to the fathers, in diverse times and manners, so                this preaching of this admonition plus tlie preaching
   He now speaks of  this. faithfulness to  us  through                  of the reason for the admonition to hold fast, is the
   His. Son, as the latter speaks to us by this writer to                means employed by God to bring us to glory. Do not
   t h e   H e b r e w s .                                               -all hear the premhing ,@f this Promise? Indeed all
   And, evidently, the writer to the Hebrews alludes                     do who hear the Wok"d  proclaimed. But their h,earing
  -to the'various manifestations of the faithfulness of                  is not mingled with faith. But all- the unbelief in the
   Him Who promised.                                                     church cannot quench the faith of those who respond
    - We like to think in this co&e&ion of the mani- to the reminding. of -the faithfulness of God, and to
   festation of the faithfulness of; G'od as manifested at               keep them fioni "`holding fast" lest anyone take their
   the `"bui?ning bush" at the mount of God.                  `.         crown.
          This incident at the burning bush is ,an intended                                                      Geo. C. Lubbers.


                                     T . H E   STA.NDARD  B E A R E R                                                189

                                                               greatly when they finally lie in state in the church to
           IN,  MIS FEAR  :  : which they belonged but did not attend while the breath
                                                               of. life was still in. &rn. And sacramenks  in : such
                                                               churches are ur&nowz:_or  have become lost in formal
  Church M&bership In His Fear                                 christening ceremonies or fellowship suppers.  ~
                                                                  But just as surely tlTe?e  is something Wrong,  ragi- ,,
                          e 6.                                 tally wrong, with such church members.,,  ,One had
     Not Forsaking the Assemblies'of  The Saints.              rather be an atheist professedly or a heathen. Such
                                                               a caricature of the church and such:moek  vembership
   With the present  issue `we turn once agbin to the          is not even worthy of respect from a worldly point
subject which last had our attention in the December 1         of view. Men don't even treat their  .membership in
Stawicwcl  Bearer.                      -                      an athletic club or in the Chamber of Commerce `qr in
   The reader may recall that in that article we con-. a lodge with such haughty disdain. If they are de-
eluded that- "`there can be ,110 doubt about it tha.t the votees of the theater or the stage, i&ey are faithful also
church is actually and concretely manifest in gather-          then. If they are sports fans, you never miss them. at
ings of specifiti  congregations at certain places and at      an exeiting event. But the church? That's different.
stated times." Hence, we drew* the -conclusion `that              Now it is dificult to say jnst which took place first,
"the believer will not thipk lightly of his membership         the decline of the institute or the degeneration of the
in fhe church in the world,,' 2nd that "he knows. . . .        membership. ,On'e never occurs without the other, can-.
that it is therefore his obligation before God to belong       not, .in fact. -And so we-shall  have to call them con-
to that gathering."                                 .          comitant causes. Nor will it do, of course, if the ques-
   The question now is : what is the implication of            tion would ever arise, for the degenerate membership
belonging to that  gatklering? Does it mean simply             to blame the corrupt institute or vice versa. But at
that a person has his name on the membership l;ecord           present we want to view the matter from the point
.of a certain congregation ? Such `is often the ease to-       of view of church member&hip. .
`day. We-are all aoquainted with the fact. that today             You say: "Why not come closer home? We arenlt
there are many who view their church membership in             troubled by any such circu&stances,  and we all know
just that way. People t$ey are who never or seldom             that we should not live that way over against the
see the inside of the church, who possibly make their          church." Well enough : let% get closer, home.
appearance on Christmas, since that is traditionally a            What church does Mr. Rich  Aljostate   belo&  +o?
church holiday, or on Easter Sunday, since it has be-          Well, it's that `Downtown Presbyterian Church. What
con-i&  the vogue to show 6ff new spring outfits on that       kind of church is that? When was it organized?
day and to join the Easter parade. For the rest they           Where did it come from? Was it always.  t&e same
have no  inter&&.  If their conscience pricks them a           kind of church that" it is now? Did it always hold
little and if they are of the class. who don't easily miss     only one brief service at 11 a.m. on Sunday to aceomo-
a few dollars or even .a few hundred, they send their          date the sleeping habits of its members? Did it, al-
check to the "Board of  -Trustees";  because after all         ways close its ,doors for a couple of months during the
they want to keep their pride in .the church property          summer  if or `an ecclesiastical, vacation 7
as part of their civic pride and  pekhaps  they want              Why no ! it was organized when the city was `a
their minister to have as good a living as the next or little village stockade, way back when some God-fearipg
as other prof&sional men. But oth.eT  than that they pioneers settled here. It is  Presbyterian,L  that- is, it
have no interest in the ,church `excel%? when they have        had its origin in the English brarieh of t&e `Calvinistic
to be buried and want to be eulogied before their bodies       Reformation, through the instrumentality of that God-
rot is  the grave.                                             fearing Reformed John Knox. At one time the Word
   T.o be sure, there is  som$hing wrong with the              of God was faithfully proclaimed, the sacraments were
church they attend. ,Of course, church disc&line  has          properly celebrated, and church discgpline  >vas,`$,rictiy
long be& discarded as obsolete and unloving and `in-           maintained. * Two services of ,at least an hour and a
tolerant., And, as is usually the case in such an .ex-         half v\rere held every Sunday, ?nd were `faithfully, at-
treme case as the ,one cited above, the church has in          tended by all the members, who came to church as
every way made herself .unworthy of the name church. f amilieS. Besides, there was probably a- rojd:week
For the preaching of the Word the philosophy of man            service; and- the youth were instiucted at an, +arly
hai long since been substituted, and it isn't at all diffi-    age ; and all in al it was a b&y' and flourjshing, con-
cult for the so-called preacher, who is a socially in-,        gregation of Jesus ,Christ.
clined gentleman anyway and has learned to get along               Gradually,  howeverj  changes took place.  some
well with his public and has rather enjoyed the benign- members had not enough interest and spiritual energy
phlilanthropies` of these dead members, to extol them          to attend these -long services and listen to that dog-

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

trinal preaching twice in one day.-Besides, the trip        ignore the fact that the Word of Christ is addressed
to church was a long and cold one with the horse and        to the church and. to the individual only as member,
buggy.-Their laxity came to. the attention of the           living member of  the'church.  It is the sin of those
elders, and they were admonished. `And it seemed to         who were not mindful that the Spirit of <Christ was
help for a while: most of the time they attended twice,     poured out in the church. It is the sin of those who
that is, as long as the admonition of the elders was        presumed to say that they had no'need of the regular
fresh in their minds. But, of course, attendance at a       ministry of the Word. It is the sin of those who for-
mid-week, service was unthinkable ; and, to say the         got that the `members of ,Christ's  church are members
least, the attendance of the children at catechism. was     of His bodz~ and that therefore all individualism and
very irregular. However, before long the same thing         independentism is ruled out in the church. It is the
happened. And this time the elders became weary.            sin of those who followed not the urge of their  re-
The absence of these members went not unnoticed, but        generated heart; but the urge of the sinful flesh. And
unadmonished. `The tendency increased. With it all,         in last instance it is the sin of those who after all have
of course, went an increasingly worldly attitude and a      no life of regeneration in them at all, who have no life,
growing ignorance. and a corresponding weakening in         who are not members of His body, and who therefore
the offices of ministry and government. And finally,        can have no church life in the real sense of the word.
came a time when the church was even closed on Sun-             That, if we at all know the fear of the` Lord, is
day afternoon and evening and the much-watered-down         indeed sin.'                                         *
truth was proclaimed only once per Sunday. From                 I have brought the `matter closer to home, if you
then on developments camerapidly. The next time a           know how to read history: And I hope to apply this
minister was called, he was no dried up ecclesiastical      lesson from, history in the light of the Word of God
.prude but a sociable, up-to-date, well-educated and pol- next time. But perhaps you have-already discerned
ished man, with `a degree in philosophy from one of that the picture of  the"`oncer" and the "wanderer"
the best known universities in the country.. He didn't      or looper  are to be found in the bit of history which
preach, but he gave a. lecture every Sunday morning,-       I have traced for you.
you know the contents. And on those beautiful sum-            And that, indeed, comes close to home, -doesn't it?
mer mornings he wanted to go golfing with the rest              And once&m  is contrary to the fear of the Lord,
of his congregation. The church doors were closed           i s n 't   i t ?
during the summer. No one minded if `you didn't at-                                             H. C. Hoeksema.
tend when they were open. If .you showed up occasion-
ally, contributed well for the upkeep of the property                           -oyc=4ocm
and the $lO,OOO  salary of Dr. Philosopher, attended all
the luncheons and parties, and were willing to, serve       " Among  ThJlmmigrants (2  -
on the Board of Trustees occasionally, you were a
member in good standing of the elite Downtown Pres-             We have found, especially in our latest contacts
byterian Church.                                            with the Immigrants in Canada, that the "Declaration
   Pi&ion? Only to the extent that I used fictitious        of Principles" proposed by our last Synod has been
names. For not only is that the sad situation to be         construed by them as a stumbling-block to affiliation
found in many churches today, but it is also the sad        with our Churches. Undoubtedly, much of this fear
history of their degeneration.                              is due to misunderstanding and misuse which.has  been
   If you-would trace the history of all those churches
                    .                                       made of that document. There has been little actual
which had their beginning. in our country in the days       discussion of the content while a great deal has been
before the Revolutionary War, in the days of the Pil- written and said about what its power might be and.
grim Fathers and the Puritans, yen would find that in       how it might be used. Hence, it usually has been at-
general it is exactly as I described it briefly above.      tacked -`as' an already adopted and binding document
Your modern Congregational and Methodist Churches           and warnings have been issued to reject its. binding.
in this country and your to-a-lesser-extent modern Re-      It has been treated as though it were already in force.
formed Churches were at one time orthodox, and even -Yet,  even this attitude is not altogether. unfounded.
Calvinistically orthodox. But over the years .tremen-       The manner in which the Declaration was presented
dous changes took place, until today you have the           certainly lends itself to -misunderstanding. Without
lamentable picture I painted above.                         any explanation or note it was, published under the
  And one of the contributing :causes  of such decad- heading: An Important Decision. Then to further add
ence is the sin of those who lightly esteem their mem-      to possible misunderstanding lit was stated that : `Cur
bership in the church and are unmindful of their obli-      last Synod adopted the following. Strictly speaking,
gation to belong to that gathering and to gather with       of course, the only decision our Synod took and the
it. It is the sin of those who-despise and  wilfully        only thing it.adopted  was the advice of the committee
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                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B'Ei'Rtiti   -:-                                      191

 which drew up the Declaration, that it be presented to         which specifically asks the question of what is binding.
 our Churches.                                                  `This letter and the answer of the Mission Commitiee
        And yet it is also true that. Synod did more than       may be found iri the Acts`of Synod of 1950, Art. 63,
 this. Although Synod evidently meant only to present           pages 52-54. We feel it is an overstatement to say
 the Declaration for discussion, it nevertheless did de- that `"this letter- is quite typical of repeated requests
 cide to adopt it as a "workilig hypothesis `for the Kis-       t?& we have received from variods groutis in `Canada." I
 sion Committee and our -missionaries in the organiz-           But at any rate, the answer of the Mission Committee.
 ation of Churches". Hence, it has been correctly re-           was also essentially the substance .of our method of
 marked, that .although it `is not yet officially-binding       procedure in the work in Canada. It  yras granted
 within our Churches, it is for those who desire to come        that our men who labored in Canada were sufficiently
 -within. This last decision, therefore, certainly adds-to      able and qualified  to discuss and explain our p&&ion
 the misunderstanding and substantiates the criticism           arid the implication of `24. Hence, .it was felt that a
8 and fear of its being a "binding" document.                   broader and mqre explicit written statement was un-
        In close connection with the above, the question is     necessary.
 also often asked as to how the Declaration came into               However, some members of the Mission Committee
 being and what was the purpose of proposing it. That           believed we should have something more definite. So
 question still `remains, both for tire Immigralits  and the question -was discussed, and at a meeting in the
 also for man-y within our own Churches. -Let us brief- Spring of 1950 a motion was presented to ask the com-
 ly trace the  his'tory.  (The talk of "binding" really         ing Synod to declare what was binding in our Church-
 originates in the Netherlands since  thati-was  essentially    es-. This motion was discussed by the Mission Corn:
 THE issue in the Liberated .`movement.  ' Naturally,           mittee and-no unanimity could be reached. The Mis-
 therefore, the question.was  fresh and important in the        sionaries themselves, as weli as &me of the members
 minds of the Immigrants when  they came to this                of the Committee who had worked in Canada, felt there
 country. They were anxious to join a Church in their           was no need for it and that a Synodical  declaration
 new land in which they-would be free from hitirarchical        would have a psychological ill-effect on the work.
 decisions and bound only `by the Scriptures and the            Hence, this motion was tabled. At a later meeting of
 Reformed Confessions. Hence, they also rejected the the Mission Cominittee,  at which the report to Synod
 binding of the Three Points in the Christian Reformed .was to be approved, the question was again brought
 Church and sought our fellowship ;' qince they we?e            up by asking whether anything at all should be stated
 assured that we stood upon the same basis as their. or asked about this matter. Again no unanimity could
 fprmer Church in .the Old Country recognizing only             be reached until it"w.as  finaly agreed,, up& the advice
 the Scriptures and the Thpee Forms as binding. (See .of one of the Missionaries, to ask Synod to draw up a
e.g. Acts of Synod of 1947, Art. 75, pages 53 and 54).          form-letter to be signed by those reque$ing and desir-
        However, with the publicatiqn of the letter of Prof.    ing organization as a Protestant `Reformed Church.
 Holwerda, and the ensuing comment and  wkiting,                The idea ,was, that even as`we have such forms for
doubts were raised in their minds and the questi& of            the calling o$ a ministtir,  etc., it might be well to have
 binding arose again.' Not only did Prof. Holwerda              one also for organization ; which would contain a brief
 speak of binding but voices were raised also'out of our        statement of our position as Churches.
 own midst &ch added to the confusion. In those                     That this was. so understood by the `Committee of-
 particular numbers of the Stanclard Bearer, for. ex-           Pre-advice that handled the report of  the Mission
 amplk, one can read not only statements that aloqe the         Committee is evident from the advice which this
 Scriptures and Three Forms are binding in our midst            committee presented on this point of the Mission
 but also implications that more than these are held to. Committee's r&port. After setting forth a short state-
 be binding for our  :$hurches. Hence,. it is not un- ment they advised : "To adopt (the statement set forth)
 reasonable that this question should be broached `by as one which should appear`iti  each'request for organiz-
 the Immigrants..                                               ation". (See Acts of Synod 1950, Art., 63, pag_e 54).
        These things also cam; to the attention of the Mis-     Undoubtedly, this was discussed on the floor of Synod
 sion Comimttee. Not, however, through a flood of               but why it was not received, and executed is not re-
 correspondence as the impression is sometimes left,            vealed in the Acts. The matter was, however,, referred
but mainly through the  repdrts of the Ministers and            back to theCommitt"ee `of Pre-advice which subsequent-
 Missiotiaries who labored in Canada and reported               ly drew up the present Declaration and which was pre-
 these things as a matter of fact along with the inform-        sented to and received by the Synod. Hence, it is evi-
 ation as to how these queries were met; so that the            dent that the present Declaration of Principles, both
 Mission Committee might'be able to guide and advise            as to its' conception and material, originates with the
 those who labored in Canada. In fact, to otir know-            Committee of Pre-advice  (pefhaps acting  ukon the  -
 ledge, the Mission Committee received only one l&ter           basis of a discussion at @nod) but certainly does. not
  1.


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     192                               i ~                   TH-ESTAN-DXKU.B E A, R i'
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       _                               : :-
     reflect  what%as in the mind of the Mission Committee.               We are still welcome in their midst and they still desire
                 But even apart from these consider&ions, the ques- to hear our preachilig..  -They confess to enjoy the Word          :
     tion still remains why these Immigrants shbuld be so- and are. enthusiastic in their praise fey the Dutch medi:-
     skeptical and hesitant to receive the Decaration. SinTe              tations of the- Rev.. Hoeksema which tlney receive as
     ! it is professedly the simple and clear expression bf the           supplements to the Stand&d Bearer. Hence, we be-.
     Refdri-ned Confessions,  tihy the fear on their part.                !ieve we should continue carefully with those whom
     That last statement itself contains, partly at least, tine           God has placed on our way ,and,%ry to avoid discourag-
     reason for questioning'it. They would answer: If the                 inig and-disparaging them. Rather should we proceed
     Declar$Xn  expresses the clear and unambiguous mean- with patience and love and understanding; as among
     ing of the Confessions then certainly there is no need               brethren in the Lord.
     fo> this restatement ; then the Confessions themselv&                   We believe that this approach and inethod of pro-
     are adequate. L@t us, then rather, discuss thes'e things             cedure in our work amongst the Iminigrants is. ex-
     without the psychological barrier of a  synodical de- tremely important. Certainly we cannot be expected
' claration. In that way, they feel they would be better to compromise our position or camouflage whatwe con-
     able to be le'd to learn to understalid and appreciate our fess to be the Truth. Nor is that necessary. But we
     position, rather than appear to be forced to swallow in              must $eek oqe another in the spirit of love ; with trust
     one' ~11); and .at one sitting' of 15 or 20 minutes, that            and confidehce that we desire one another% good and
     which has been developed in out Churches over ,a period              spiritual  welfare: As  bY&hren in the- Lord, we cer- .
     of years.                                     .                      tainly must proceed believing that we will mutually
                 And that .attitude  can. again only be understood' bow befdke  the Word of God. Nor is that being naive
     from their background ; t;Vhieh is the essential reason              or misinterpreting the Scriptural injunction to love
     for their skepticism. Perhaps, it is difficult  for those            one another. Rather will it result in "teaching and -
     of us who have had little or ,no contact with these                  admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
     Immigrants and'who know little'of the struggle in the spiritual Songs" ;- revealing .that the Word of Christ
     Netherlands Churches,  td appreciate this ; but we -dwells in us richly in all wisdom..                     I
should at least try to understand them. When-these                          . In the. second place, we believe that closer cbm-
     Immigrants `tire confronted with documents that bear                 mynion can be accomplished by freely preaching the
     the nature of a "binding", or &ith Synodical declara- whole counsel of God ambngst the Immigrants. Time
     tions `concerning the `teaching of the `Comnfessions,  the           and again. we have pointed out that it iS our preaching
     whole miserable histoiy of their experience with these               that `$tracts..  And thiough, the puY;e preaching of His.
     things in the Netherlands'rushes into their minds. Just              Word  Christ  gaihers His Church!  And His Church
     as when wehear  the term "Common Grace" and "The                     is ndt gathered where there are bitter envyings  `and
     Th%ee, Points" all of `24 is brought vividly to our at-,' strife. Let&s,' therefore, freely proclaim and preach
tention,.  So it  iS with them. They immediately think the whole glorious truth of God's Sovereign grace with
     of the binding decisions of thk iSynod of !1942 in. the              the assurance that through -th& ~remhing Christ will,
     Netherlands ; of the `"Toelichting" and exp1anatioris.i.  of build His ,Churc&
     the deposition of office-bearers, and the split in the                  Finally, we believe it to be expedient and necessary
     Churches -with all its miserable history.                            that our Committee of Correspondence contact the
                 Hence, they begin to wonder  if our Churches reveal      Netherlands committee. From the very beginning of
`i-hat spirit which pervaded the Synodical Churches and ,the" work'ifi <Canada  it has been pointed out that this
     if we too want to build the walls to exclude brethren                work was very closely bound to the Iquestion of coy;-
     who belong together. They wonder also whether this                   respondence. Although the work in Canada has grad-
     Declaration is indicative of a trend in our Churches so              ually gained momentum the question of coryespond-
     that other Synodical declarations will follow. Perhaps,              en-ce is practically where it was when the Canadian
     in anothe? year or two it will be felt expedient to de- work began. It remains trqe today, as at the begin-
     clare ourselves on "Regeneration" or on the question ning of our labors in Canada and perhaps now even
     of  "Infra-Supra'T,  for example. Nor are these fears                more so, that the question of  correscondence has a
     entirely ground$ss. Already it becomes evident t&a& a                direct bearing on that work. We woulq urge, there-
     "Toelichting" or explanation .is nece'ssary  to answer the fore, that this matter be expedited.
     many questions that have arisen in connection with the                  And in it all, 1% LIS strive to heed the injunction of
     present Detilaration.  And s6 it also went in the Nether-            the Apostle Paul-: "With all lowliness and meekness,
     lands !              `.     .-                                       with longsuffering, forbearing one another  iti love;  ."
        Therefore, the way towak;ds  closer communion has                 endeavoring to keep the unity of `the Spirit in the bond
     .hecomti  a bit Pough. Yet, in spite of it all, these Immi- o f   p e a c e . `"                          W. Hofman.
     grants are stil-wiZbing  and able to discuss these things.                                                A. Cammenga.
                          .
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