  VOLUME XXVII                                February 1, 19511 Grand Rapids, Mich.                                                    NUMBER 9

                                                                          dwelled there. The Holjr Gdd, before whose countkn-
                                                                          ante the angels cover their faces.
                                                                                Were they not a miraculous people? And did they
    MEDITAT1tl.N                                                          not dwell in a miraculous land? Go to Jerusalem and
                                                                          you will marvel. There  iS a place where Jehovah
                                                                          dwells. It is called the. Holy of  Holies.  *God feels at
            R i d i c u l o u s   H a l t i n g   I                       home with maq, elect man.
                "And Elijah came unto all the  people  md said,                   And now they will serve  Baal, and adore  Ash-
              How long halt ye between two ,opinions  ? if khe Lord       taroth? For shame!
              be  IGod, follow' Him; but if  Baal, then follow him.       ,       Yes,  but wait: they are not done with Jehovah.
              Atid the people answered ,him not a word."                  ,Oh no, they have Baa1 and they have Ashtaroth, but
                                                   I Kings  x3:21.   J    they also  .have Jehovah on their lips. They serve
      Times were -evil in the days of Elijah, the prophet                 b o t h .                                                             .:
  of the Lord.                                                                    Jereboam had given expression to it: he pointed
      There was a very wicked king on ,the throne, and                    to the two golden calves, and said : Behold the God that
  he had ruled Israel for ,twenty-two  years at the time                  br&ght  you up. froni Egypt.
  of this speech of the prophet. And when Elijah speaks                           And the result?             .
  of two opinions, causing  ,the `people of God  tq halt                          It is this: they halted,                                 ,
  ridiculously, you can imagine where they received their                         And to halt is a ridiculous situation.
  incelltive, their example.
      This wicked king had married 2 heathen princess,                                                - -   .   .   .
  named Jezebel,.daughter  of Ethbaal, king of the Zidqn-                         To halt is ridiculous. It is laughable.
  ians.    And ever since her appearance on the stage                             Try to tialk with one foot on the sidewalk, and with
  of history, her name has been- synonymous with .the                     the other in the gutter.
 brazen harlot.       She, was a very wicked woman, in-                           To halt; literally, is to  +ave different planes for
  deed.                                                                   your feet.  *                             ~ ,
   Israel numbered four hundred  and fifty  Baal-                               Figuratively, it is to be double-minded.                                   .
  priests. And  they were a sorry lot. Priests of  that                           Spiritually, it is to be more abominable than the
  which is not. What vanity.                                              out and out wicked.
      The Holy Bible tells us that the people of  God                             Let us see. Who was Baal? Baa1 was the sun-god
  walked in vanities. There was Baal-worship and the                           of the Syrp-phenecian nations. Literally it meant Lord
  adoration of the-Ashtarot& on every side.                               or Master. It signified the productive power and fer-
      No,  thei-e  iyas no  historical  incentive to follow tility of the sun. In  a, word: it was  expre'ssive  of
  these detestable d&ties. The history of Israel is iom-                  power, might.               :            '       '
_ prised in the NAME! That  w&s  all. It  was all" Je-                            But it was  all a dream.  It did  not exist. It was
  hovah. They were a people of miracles. `Every man                       literally nothing and vanity. ' When Israel tidrshipped
  woman and child was the offspring of Abraham, after                     Baal, they worsh'ipped ~the nothing, the nihi1.c                            ;
  he was dead, and after his wife, Sarah,, was dead.                           ,. But on the other hand, there was' Jehovah. Ah me,
 "They  were.a  people that were born through the miracle                 how shall I circumscribe Jehovah. What shall I say
  of Jehovah. They were miraculously called too. &nd                      of Him,?
  they went to the land of Iiniracles.  ' `If ,y6'u `$le$s'e : `~God              He is the Gad of whom Moses sa,ni. He'had gone
                                                                                                                                . 1

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

   back through all the generations and had arrived at                  And wkat a sermon!
   that moment when, God created the worlds. And look-                  He goes at once to the very heart of the abomina-
   ing still further'.he saw Jehov+h who is from everlast-           tion: How.lbng halt ye between two opinions? He.is
 ing to everlasting... Read the ninetieth psalm, and                 a rather ruthless preacher.
   wor,ship.                                                            Imagine yourself to be .a w&e man: You are going
       And He is truly the adorable `God. He had reveal-             to reprove a friend.  And.you  prepare  many pretty
   ed Himself. to Israel. And that revelation  foung its speech&. ,You are going to captiyate him with many
   climax in the ,Holy of Holies. That place spoke of the            subtilties.
   eternal Mystery: God `and Man united' into one. He                   Not so  ,Elijah. `The man has no tact at all. His
  had taken Israel from out of Ur of Chaldees, and He ' introduction comes to this : Why be a fool, o Israel !
  had labored with Israel until he dwelled in the land of               Yes, and they were fools. Op the one- hand they
   God, in the Wonderland. And in that Wonderland He                 hang on to the great NOTHING. And that is  Baa!.
  told them of still greater beauties to come. Read, the _They prostrate,themselves  before the NOTHIMG.
  psalm,.?$  .Asaph (73) .  ~                                           And ofi the other hand, they say that they serve
       And all His footsteps ,were grace, love and loving- Jehovah.
, kindness.                                                             They m&de spiritual fools of themselves.
       Certainly, Jehovah had revealed3  Himself  to Israel,            The picture of any man who endeavours to hang on
  and all .such revelation should tend to praise, honor              to Baa1 and to Jehovah.
  and worship. In a  wqrd: the revelation of Jehovah                    Ridiculous halting between two opinions:
  should'find among Israel just one reaction : they should              Ludicrous  behiviour. .                          -
  serve Him.                                                                               =-c--.3
       But they did not. That.& they seryed Him alright,                Why halt ye between two opinions?
 but they also  served the great NOTHING. And that                      If Jehovah be Go@ . . . follow Him !
  -is  Baal.                                                            But if Baa1 then follow him!
       And so they Made theniselves ridicul@us.                                     .'
      In their foolish halting between two opinions.            '     /. By the way: note that there are but two possibili-
       Mirabile  vim!                                                ties. You- either serve Jehovah or you serve Ba.al, or'
                                                                     anything .Baal stands for.         '
                                                                     : : What awful inju&idn ! Jehovah or. Baa1 !
                              --

                                   .(
       Israel was halting betwen two opinions, and made                 Much later we hear something that is somewhat
  themselves detestable in the-eyes  of ,God and man.                of. an echo to this  `injunditin of Elijah: Christ or
       And God remembered Hi,s covenant, and He sent Bar-+bbas !
  the man of God to `speak to this foolish people. And                  Awful injunction: Jehovah or Baal.
  the name of  that  mail of  <God  was Elijah. What' an                Jehovah is all that is lovely, just and good.
  appropriate name! ., It means : Jehovah iS God! His                   Baa1 is all tha.i is vain,. idle, em$ty and corrupt.
  very introduction tias a message in itself. What do I                 Dear reager, do you know ivhat makes me shudder
  say.  It was the only message he was about to                      at this  point? It is this: how marvellous is God's
  bring.                                                             patience. He suffers long  and is kind. He is even
     . What little child among us does not know of that              willirig to Stan! on a duo with the devil himself. And
  wonderful man of God? 1                                            standing before Israel, He asks the question: Whom
       His main characteristic w&s this: he stpod before
   -  - --  `_                                                       do you want? After till is said and done, the voice of
   tied., .,He always -fought ,for God. And through. the Elijah was really the voice' of God.
  Holy Spirit he prayed to Goh that it might not rain,                  What is Israel going to do?
  and it rained not for three years and six months. And
  why?' Because of this wicked' halting between two                     `To ask- the question seems- sinfA1. What else but
  opinions. Remember that Ahab had been on `the throne               to choose ,God ! .Who w`ill be fool.Tnough  to choose the
  for 22 years. ,Condiitions  were terrible  in the land. of. `devil, Baal, the murderer Bar-abbas?
  miracles.'                             1.                             Ah, @ut 40 not be too hasty: these people are halt-
       And $0 the conclus{on of this three. year period,             ikg. They try to keep from choosing. Thky walk on
  Elijah  called all Israel tdgether  at Mount Carmel.               two  plaries.   -They  say that they  serve both Jehovah  -
      /There they come! I see thousands and thousands.               and Baal. And of that kind of people you can expect
  And among  them` is  the host of  Baa1 priests. They  anything*
   +re there at Elijah's bidding.                                       And so the choice is set before the face of God's
   And when the  scene   5s  s&t,, Elijah preached  hi?  people.                                                    i
   jntroclpctoyy   sermon:                          -/                 They are bidden to choose,.
                   .-         ~


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR'ER                                                               19.5

    They may not halt between two opinions.                              I .           It is good sense today to read I Kings 18, and to
     They must cease their ridiculous halting.                    '              apply it to ourselves.
     Later,: much later, Jesus asks of  His church in                                  Ridiculous halting.
 Laodicea: .Oh that you were either cold or hot!                   `.
   x The lukewarti is abominable.                                                                                 MM
     And ludicrous.                                                                    And still, the choice is so easy. Of course, J,ehovah
                        \ -               -                                      is, God, and' He ought and He must be served. I7
                                     _                                                - Serve Baa1 and try at the same tima to serve Je-.
     And what is the result? .                                                   hovah, and' you become a fool, and your end is hell.
     `The people answered him not a word.  -                                          ( Serve Baal? Yes, if you do, you become a fool.
     Tell me, would you not expect to see the columns                                  Did you read  th& chapter in First Kings? Do;
 of fire descending from a wrathful.God? Here is God and .you will be inclined to laugh.
 standing on a duo: -Jehovah contra Lucifer! Here                                      It is one of :the places of Holy Writ that uses irony.,
 stands beauty such as will make heaven musical for-                             in order to portray the fool in his folly. I receive the
 ever, overagainst ugliness, such as will make hell abom-                        impression that Elijah stood near the. altar with a ..-
 inable for all eternity.                                                        perpetual smile on his face.         K
     And-the people utter  n&a  .word.  -  -                                           At least he can hbld himself no longer. He steps
     Well, let us see. . . .                                                     forth. and politely addresses the priests of  Baal. These
     10 God, forgive ! We are so ticked and perverse.                            poor deluded people are in a dither about their pre-
     Wonder what the angels were thinking at this                                cious  gdd. But Elijah intervenes and says:  Just a
 juncture.                                                                       minute ! Baa1 is `a god : perhaps he `is taTking,  or~he  is
     The people just stand there. There is no reaction. pursuing, or he is on a journey, yes, he may evei be
 `What do  I' say? No reaction? It is the abominable                             asleep. Cry a little louder!
 indifference of the apdstate. It is the striking of the                               Holy irtiny of `God !
 beauteous Face of God. It is the insult against heaven                                And the priests jump against the altar: they cut
 and heaven's God.                                                               themselves with knives, but the fi?e from heaven is
                                                       ,
     Does this `not yemind you.of our very day? Is it                            absent. The sum of all their work is, exactly zero.                   5,
 any different now?                                                                    And what would you expect.  Baa1 is` not.  .He is"
     Who does qot call himself a Christian? We all  "'
                                                                                         NoTHING*
 serve God, do we not? Everyone knows the &mighty,                                     And the ridiculousness of halting between two  opin-
 &nd everyone calls himself after His name. Try to                               ions is manifested.
 call  " man  a heathen, a pagan, and you' will have
                                                       . ,                                                        mc-t9'
                                                                                                                                          :.
 trouble on your hands.                                                                                      .
     Such it is in the church universal, be they orthodox                              But`, Elijah is going to assure us that Jehovah is
 or liberal.                                                                     God:        1      '
     Such it is in the world of the so-called Christian                                And that He should be served.                 -
 n a t i o n s .                                                                       You. know the @tory:  It is surpassingly beautiful.
     Yes, they know God and call themselves after His                            Do not forget that water. Water is the Very enemy
 name. They are said to serve Him.                                               of fire.          Elijah will prevent the invention of  the
     But they `also serve Baal. No, I do not mean the                            sinner.  Everything is soaking wet.  '
 old sun-god- of the Syroiphenecians.                  People are .too                 And then comes the prayer of faith to Him who is.
 modern, they.a?e too wise for that nonsense.                                    Baa1 is. the NOTHING. But do you  &tow that the
     But they' serve Baa1 nevertheleis,                                          root meaning of Jehovah is the I AM? -And He will
 Th'at  is, they serve the great NOTHING.                                       prove  it  today.
     There is a great hurrying. a  great pondering, a                                  `The prayer: Lord God of Abraham, Isaac  and'
 great philosophizing of the vain,,, the empty, the idle,                        Israel, let it be known today that Thou art God in
 the  deceptivti,  the lying. In short, there is a  great Israel. . . .
 seririce of the devil. And it were well if we do not look                            Beautiful prayer of faith !          "
 too far from hotie. Let us enter into the recesses of                                 And the fire fell and consumed, and consumed. . . .
 our hearts, and we will be surprised tit the abomina-                                 Of course; God is God.  &nd salvation is of the
 tions we will find.            .                                                Lord. And that is Jesus.
     I would like to make  this very clear : there is much                             And so let  us'iot halt.  L$"us stand firm on the
halting between two opinions in  anno'  Domini  19,51. Rock.
     Ttiere is much folly;.. much ludicrous behaviour                                  And the Rock is Christ.
 among us today.                               .  1                              -                                                        G:  ;yos.

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

                           The Standard Bearer
            Semi-Monthly, except Monthly in July ati August                                                                                          E-DITORIALS.   '  :
                                        P u b l i s h e d   B y
                    The Reformed Free Publishing Association
                         Box 124; Sta; C., Grand Rapids, Mich, '                                                                                     * Another  Reason
                              EDITOR: - Rev. H. Hoeksema.
        Communications relative to contents should be addressed to                                                                       On another page of the present issue of the Stan-
 REV. I% HOEKBEMA,  1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand. Rapids,                                                                          dctrd Bewer the r.eader  will find a contribution in the
 Michigan.                                                                                                                            Holland language from Mr, A.' van Dischoven. In that
        Communications relative to subscription should be addressed
to Mr. J.  BOUWMAN,  1350  Giddings,   SE., Grand Rapids 7,                                                                           Contribution Mr. van Dischoven writes about the De-
 Mich.  Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                            claration of Principles, which he mistakenly calls "Ver-
above address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                                        klaring van Gevbelen".
n o t i c e .                                                                                                                            I will not take the trouble to translate the entire
Renewals:-Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re- article, but only that part of it on which I must reflect.
-ceived,  it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription
to continue without the form_ality  of a renewal order.                                                                               It furnishes our churches with an added reason why
EnGered  as Second Class  Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan.                                                                             they should, adopt.the Decla;cation  of Principles with-
                                                                                                                                      out delay.                                        -
                                                                                                                                         Writes he ,(I translate) :
                                                                                                                                         "The two well-known missionary ministers labored
                                                                                                                                      hard in Canada among the immigrants, (Reformed,
                                                                                                                                      Art. 31). Neither labor nor expenses were spared.
                                                                                                                                      For. a 1ofig:time they talked and debated with them,
                                                                                                                                      so that it may safely be assumed that we became mu-
                                                                                                                                      tually acquainted with each o&er's standpoint. The
                                                                                                                                      Protestailt  Reformed churches, therefore, also  ,%ezu
                                          CO'&TENTS                                               1.~                   _             that the  Refornied immigrants from the Netherlands
 MEDITATfON,                                                                                                                          had no intention to.repudiate (let go). their covenant
           R?diculous Halting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..--------------------.-..  ______. _ _____ :______ 193           conception here in Canada. And that not only because
                Rev. Gerrit Vos                                                                                                  ,    in the Netherlands they had to fight for it to the death,
 EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                          but also and especially because it is their conviction
 : ,       Another Reason __________ 1___________.........____________ _   __________ 
                                                                                                          ~____________  19,6         that these Jhings stand on the basis of Scripture &nd
           The Rev. H. Veldman Suspended From Office ________________ 198                                                             the Confession, The organization of the church  of
                 Rev.  II.  Hoek'sema                                                                                                 ,Chatham, however, took place with the assurance that
           A Letter _______________________ _ ______________:  ____: ______________ 
                                                                                             _ _.______ ..,: _________ 200
           An Explanation ___._____________.______________________.......~~......~  :....< ________ 202 `Freedom of `Prophecy' existed, and because there was
                 Rev. Gerrit Vos                                                                                                      a mutual conviction that both views could be tolerated
           Ingezonden . . .._.....__________...~...~...  _ ____________________.......................... 202                         ins: .one church connection. And also and especially
                 A. van Dischoven                                                                                                     because it was the desire to walk in the royal way of
                                                                                                                                      the church, which condemns and calls sin all unneces-
 OUR DOCTRINE2                                                                                                                        sary crumbling and schism, and not to turn in the way
           The Crkation of the Spirit Wor1.d ____________________..........~....~ 203
                 Rev. H. Veldman                                                                                                      of the' sect."
                                                                                                                                         First of all, I want to state that this is a reflection
           Rev. Petter's 6th and 7th Instalments  __________________ .i....  ____ 206                                                 on the work of our missionaries. Mr. van Dischoven
                Rev. G. .M. Ophoff                                                                                                    writes that accordirig  to them, that is, our missionaries,
                                                                                                                                      there is room in our churches both for the. Heynsian
 PROM  HOI%  W R I T -                                                                                                                or the Liberated` view of the covenant' and the Pro-
           Exposition `of Hebrews 10:19-25  ..________________._  I ___________________ 211
                 Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                                                                                 testant Reformed view, and .that they, our mission-
                                                                                                                                      aries, permitted the people of  Chatham to organize
 IN HIS FEAR-  ' .                                                                                                                    into a Protestant Reformed Church with the assurance
           Church Membership `in His Fear _._________________  _ _______________~ ____ 213                                            that there was plenty of .room in our churches for both
             Rev..H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                                      views, or,. as Mr. van Disehoven,  calls~ it, `"Freedom of
                                                                                                                                      .Prophecy".       I do not as yet believe `that Mr. van
 PER&SCOPE-                                    - ,                                  `.                                                Dischbven writes the truth in this respect, especially
           Keeping Our Balance ________ i ________________________________________~... _  ._____ 215                                  in view of the fact that they were well  aware that
                 Rev. J. Howerzyl                                                                                                     the Mission Committee had refused a request  fo?
                                                                                                                                      organization of  Chatham  for' the reason  that they


                                       I    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER
                       .  ..-_  .._                                                                                  197 ,
 wanted to &em&, Liberated. And therefore I cannot -instituted. It has  &ways  b&en the custom of our
 believe the word of Mr. vaq Dischoven. Nevertheless,        churches, and it is. the rule of our Mission Committee,
 thk above paragraph of MG. van Dischoven is a reflec- through our missionaries first to instruct the people in
 tion on the work of the missionaries ; and it -is up to     the Prot. Ref. truth, and only after they have `been in-
 them to contradict him. The churches surely have a          structed, understand our truth, and express agreement
.right to know the truth in this -regard.          .         with it, to organize them into a Prot. Ref. Church. To
    At the same time the article by .Mr. van Dischoven        labor in this direction is the calling of our missionaries.
 also  demands  a statement from the Consistory of the       Atid in spite of what Mr. van Dischoven alleges in the
' Protestant Reformed Church in Chatham. Let them            above .paragraph, -1 still belieje that they have done so
 clearly state whether Mr. van Dischoven writes the in  Chatham.  But it certainly is not  .&ue that our
 truth in the above quotation. Let thenj tell us in clear Protestant Reformed Churches couldknow or even ex-
 and unambiguous ,language whether. they too under- peet  that when. the Plr;otestant  Reformed Church, in
 Stan-d that the:Protestant R.eformed Church in Cha-          Chatham was organized the pe'ople there did not intend '
 tham was organized on the basis indicated by Mr. tan        to repudiate or to let go their Heynsian` view of the
 Dischoven, implying the so-called  "Liberty of  Pro-        covenant.  O
 phecy"*and  th'e right to maintain their own Liberated             2. Mr. van Dischoven may know that some time
 covenant conception. As churches we certainly have          before -the actual organization of the Protestant Re-
 the right to know this and to act accordingly,         "    fo+ed  `Church in  Chatham our Mission Committee
    The contribution of .Mr. van Dischoven also %a&&         received a request from a group of people there that
 the question whether the Consistory of Chatham faith-       they, might be instituted and received as. a church' in
 fully functions  -to maintain the Protestant Reformed       the `Protestant Reformed communion on their own,
 truth. This is the second voice fiom Chatham that is        that is, on the Liberated basis. And that request was
snot Protestant Reformed. -First Mr. IJtsma in @on- refused by the Mission Committee. What else, then,
 con&a openly expressed that he certainly does not in-       could the churches expect than that when the Pro-
 tend to  a_ccept  the Protestant Reformed conception        testant Reformed Chur& in Chatham . was actually
 of the covenant. And now Mr. van Dischoven  claims          instituted the'people that asked for organization had
 the right to adhere in the Protestant Reformed church repudiated their Heynsian view `of the covenant?
 to the Heynsian view of the covenant and declares that             3. Mr. van Dischoven evidently was j?resent  at the
 he will never repudiate it.  Who knows how many             occasion `of the organization of the Protestant Reform-
 more there are in Chatham that are of the same con-         ed Church in  ,Chatham. And if so, he  alsO will re-
.vieti&? Is the Consistory, faithful, and does it do its     member the very definite sermon I preached on that
-duty-in regard to the maintenance  df Protestant Re-         qccasion.     That sermon certainly did not emit an
 formed truth? The Consistory knows that the ,Classis        ambiguous sound, as Mr. van Dischoven will  re-  ~
 insisted that the prospective members of the church in      member, I p?eached  on II Cor. 7 :1 : "Having there-
 Hamilton must promise that they will be instru?ted  in      fore these pr&nises, dearly .beloved, let `us cleanse our-
- the Protestant Reformed truth and that they will not       selves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit;
 agitate against that truth before they can become           perfecting holiness ifi the fear of God." I cletirly and
 members. This certainly was a very mild and'reason- definitely expounded our  Protestanb  Reformed  con-
 able decision. But the contribution of  M/Ir: `van Dis- `ception  of the promises and of having these promises.
 choven leaves the impression -that the ,Consistory of       And I explained to all that conI@ understand what it
 Chatham  entirely disregards this decision. And there- meant for the people in Chatbani~to  be -organized into
fore, that contribution certainly requires an answer         a Protestant Reformed Church. In my sermon I',em-
 from the Consistory  and a clear statement whether or . phasized as many as tl&ee  times that they must never
not they maintain the doctrine of the Prbtestant  Re-        organize unless in a Protestant Reformed Church and
f o r m e d   C h u r c h .                                  ' with a view to Protestant Reformed truth they could
                                                             answer the second question of the Baptism Form,
    As to the itatements  by My. yan Dischoven in the whether they believed "the doctrine taught in this
 above [quoted paragraph, I would make the following Christian church", and that this Christian church  I
remarks. .                                                   means  .nothing  else than the  `Pr'otestant  Reformed
    1. It is not true, as Mr. van Dischoven alleges, that    Cliurch in  Chatham. I claim that after they listened
at the time of tl56 organization of the Protestatit Re-      to that sermon, they.were organized on false pretences
formed Church at Chatham the churches  knew that             if they did not intend to repudiate or let go the Liber-
the people that were to be  organizgd there did not' ated vie& of t$e prdmises and of the-covenant.
.intend to repudiate or to let go their Liberated view              Let us above'all be honest before God.
of the covenant.. If they had known that, I am sure                 Concerning the rest of the contribution of Mr. van
t&t the church in Chatham would -never have been             Dischoven I wish to make only two brief remarks,
                                                               _


                 ~.                                                                                                                   .     .
                                                                                                                       L



  198 . .                                  THi3  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R -
                                                                                    -.,
     In the -first place, Mr. v&n ,Dis'choven quotes. us as
  if we had asked for proof that the DeClaration  of prin-                 T'lie Re?. H. Veldmatis-
                                                                                                            .i
  ciples is in conflict with Holy Writ. That is an error
  on his part. Wh& we did ask is that if any one could                                     From Office
 prove that the Declaration of .Principles  is not in'har-
  mony with the Cotifession, in fact, is not the Confes-                     The  Consistory  that still sails under the flag of
  sion itself, that then he must show it. As Reformed                     the Protestant Refer-med  Church of Hamilton has had
  people we do not question that the Colifession is in                    the audacity. to  suspen,d  the, Rev.. H. Veldman from
  harmony with Scripture:  .If that  auestion  is  ,to be                 the office of the ministry of the Word !
 raised, it  mu&  Come in the form of a  gravawben and                       I just received h,ere in Doon-a  letter from the Rev.
must be presented in the official `way to consistory,                     H. Veldman, dated Jan. 13, 1951, which begins as fol-
  cl&sis,,  and synod. And therefore, the sole question                   lows : I`Well, here it is Saturday morning, atid all- I                      '
 .is .whether or not the Declaration of Principles is in `have to do .is write you and o$hers a letter. This is ,
  harmony with the. Confession.                                           quite + novel experience,- sdmething new in my life-
     ;Secondly,  a! the ciose of his contribution Mr. van                 time. I hade been denied the pulpit here. This also
  Dischoven suggests that we are guilty of persecuting                    includes teaching catechism."
 `true members of th.e church that want to live' holily                      Already the  Gonsistory of  Hamilt,on have' called
  according to the Word of #God. But such an accusation                   in the Consistory of ,Chatham to  `advjse  them about
  is entirely false. We  do. not want to persecute the                    proper steps to the Rev. Veldman's ultimate deposition
 . Liberated. But we want to keep  otir own church p,ure.                 from office.         .'     '           '
  If the Liberated people want to maintain their own                        i Amazing ! Amazing this is, because of the shame-
  view of the covenant and are conviriced that that view                  less effrontery of a few Liberated-immigrants to at-
, is based on Scripture and the Conf,es&on, we have no                    tempt to depose a Protestant Reformed minister from I
  quarrel with them, provided they do not try to, sail                    ozfice,  that always has been and still is faithful to his
  under a Protestant  Reform@d flag. Why, if  s&h- is                     ministry, and against whose.walk  2nd life no one can
  -their conviction, do they try to enteP into the com-                   or ever h-as lodged an accusation. This I call nothing
  munion of Protestant' Reformed Churches? Why do                         short of brazen impudence.
  they not organize their own churches in Canada? Why                        Amazing this is, too, because of the utter lack of
  do they want to create schism in our Protestant Re- moral respoizsibility these immigrants evince in. mak-
  formed Churches? I have no doubt th.at if `tliey organ-                 ing the attempt%0 depose the Rev. Veldman.
  ized churches .on their own basis w,e could still have                     Well may I `ask: Are they Liberated, or are they
  correspondence with them. Nor do I doubt that if                        Libertines ?                      i
  ,such churches were poor, the Protestant  Reformedi                        .Here is ihe situation of a would-be Protestant Re-
* Churches would be willing to help  theni. But what                      formed  Cdnsistory who plot to depose a minister of
  we do not want is to open our churches `for the Heyn-                   the Word of :God who has done nothing than be very
  Sian view of the covenarit  which once, in 1924, we have                faithful to his ministry.  '                      c
  repudiated. And therefore, I certainly .deny that we                     . The Rev.  yeldman sacrificed himself completely,
  are guilty of persecuting  those' that walk according to                himself and his family, to accept a call which the Lord
-the.  Wordl of God.                                                      had bound upon his conscience. He left  a, nice and
     Once more I want to emphasize that Iwe must be                       flourishing congregation, th&t had been built up by his
  honest before God.  '                                                   labors through the grace of God, and that had recently
                                                      H. H.               built a beautiful church edifice. He sacrificed himself
                                                                          and his family by leaving the U. S. and sojourning in a
                                                                          strange country. He satirificed himself and his family,
                                                                          because his children had to leave the Christiah'School
                                                                          and attend the public school in Hamilton. Nor could
                       C O N S I S T O R I E S   +                        his children properly and fruitfully partake in the
                         o f   ClassiS  E n s t                           divine worship, for Hamilton's congregation  worship-
                                                               . . . .    ped in the Holland language, which the .children  cannot
    IClassis East decided: "In view of the present inter-                 understand. And now, after less than a' year of faith-
  national s&at&p,  to have Ia special day of prayer `in                  ful labor, and with&t ever-having received the small-
  actiordatice  with Art. 66 of the Church Order." -`.                    est `token of appreciation -for his faithful ministry,
    For this special prayer service Classis East has `sei they ,evince such `a lack of moral responsibility that
  aside the evening service of Sunday, February 4, 1951. they cruelly cast him out.
                                                                             Are they Liberated, or Libertines?                  -
                                   ?:  JobIker,  stated Clerk.
                                            .:                               Before t@ Rev. Velgman accept+  the call tc, Ha.m.-
                                                                                                                                                 i'

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                                                                                                        I     -
                                      THE  STANDAR'D   %EARER                                                       199

ilton, he discussed the situation first with, the Con-         having arrived home last Wednesday. Our first meet-
sistory and thereupon with the whole congregation,             ing was held. Thursday evening. At this meeting there
.told them exactly how he intended to, labor. among            were several letters of people who wished to withdraw
them and'wh&t  they would. expect of him as a Pro- `from our church.. . . . . 6 of these letters express dis-
testant Reformed minister. And they all ple@ged-  their        agreement with  o& doctrine-the only one who did
support, Consistory and congregation alike. If it had          not express'disagreement  with'our ddctrin$ w& ET. 6.
not been for this, it is at least @ssible that he would who simply announced his withdrawal from the con-
have declined  ihe call. And now, behold, the word             greghtion.   On,e wrote  that our doctrine  was. a  `ver-
of these faithless -people  meant so little to them `that      derfelijke' doctrine. Anoth'er wrote that they discov-
they are ,not ashamed, after less than a yea:, to c&t          ered of late that they were really Liberated at heart.
him ,out,  and as far as they are copcerned  to put him        Another expressed. ,that the Liberated and the Pro-
on .-the street.                                               testant Reformed truth could not exist side by side.
    Liberated or `Libertines?                                  The consistory grant&d theti all their request.
   `But you ask: what may be the cause of_ this action         : "At this same consistory  meeting  last Thursday
on the part of the Consistory? Did the Rev. Veldman,           evening, they were interested in the report of `the
perhaps, commit a gross sin, worthy of depbsition ac-          classis in re the Hbmilton' ease. Joliker had giveli me
cording to Art. 79 and 80 of the Church Order?; s              a copy of ,the matter as it was treated and decided at
    ,On the contrary, he w&s faithful .to all his work,        the  classis.    This I read to  .them.  Th& were  SUF-
the Consis$ory themselves being witnesses. Nor could prised. They had actually expected the classis to loose
they allege anythjng at all to blame his life and.walk' me from the congregation. And I told "`them that 1
in the midst of the congregation and in the midst of           was their minister and intended to remain their minis;
t h e   w o r l d .                                            ter as long as'there was a Protestant Reformed~Church
    They suspended the Rev. Veldman on the ground of           in Hamilton. But, things could nof,go on as they were.
(0, shades ,of la24 !> insubordination.                        Of this the consistory was convinced (all except Reit-
    &et me briefly review the facts in the case.               sma, of course). But now they did not know what to
  The Consistory  refused to abide by its own de&on            do.  .We-met  until about 11 p.m. Then Van Huizen
of June 5, 1951, namely: to ask of prospective mem-            said that we should'adjourn. 1 thought that he meant
bers that they should promise (1) to  submit them-             that we should,adjourn until our next'regularly sched-
selves to-Protestant Reformed preaching and instruc-           uled consistory meeting. But the-brother did not mean
tion  ; and (2) not to agitate against the doctrine of         this. -He wanted to meet again before Sunday. John           .:
the Prbtestant  Reformed churches. The matter was              i'on s&d that he wanted a little more time to considel
brought to the atte@ion _ of the classis: by the. Con-         the answer of, the Class@. So they decided to meet
sistory themGIves. And the classis decided that they           again on Friday evening. Then I knew. that evil had '
certainly must `maintain  t;heir decision of June 5: How-      been decided. Then I knew that  they did not waht
ever, the Consistory decided to refuse, and to re-             me any  lopger .on this pulpit. Why otherwise the
ceive all kinds of' members without asking them any            haste? And so we adjourned.         '
:qu&tions  whatsoever. And the Consistory also de-`                "Last night we met again. ,Immediately  they said
tided that the minister must submit to `this' decision,        that they had come to a decision. (Mark' you well, that
so that he tbo must leave the church. doors wide open.         this decision evidently had been reached by the: Cpn-
The  lCla&ical Committee was called in, made their             sistorjr  in the absence of the `minister. H.H.)    That
report, and delivered it to the  Classis of Jan. 3; In         decision was that the pulpit must be denied me. I told
the mkantime `the Cpnsistory had decided to request            them `that they had no ri&t to do tha,t, in&much as
the  Classis to sever the tie of  ihG, Rev. H.  Veldman: that was suspension from office, and this may  not
and loosen him from the congregation of .%amilton.             occur without the advice of 8 neighboring consistory
The Classis refused their request, compl&ely justified         (Chatham). Thereupon they took the stand that they
the Rev. Veldman, condemned the Consistory in all              could deny me the pulpit until their meeting with the
t$eir actions, and decided that the Rev. Feldman  should       consistory of `Chatham when my suspension would be.
return to his congregation and continue to labor in *discussed. They simply insisted that I be denied the
Hamilton.                                                      pulpit, did not want me to preach ~again. . What could
   Such is In brief the story, witho,ut any embellish-         I say? LAnd so *hey decided to deny me the pulpit an.4
ments.                                                         then they decided to have a meeting .witb the con-
    And now I will let the.Rev; Veldman speak for him- sistory  of Chathati as soon as possible.
self, and quote from the letter toawhich I already re-             "Here follows literally what they decided in re my
ferred above. The Rev.  Veldmtin  writes (I have his temporary suspension : `De kerkeraad, overwegende de
consent to publish from this letter as muCh as I .desire) f    uitspraak der classis  aangaande het losmaken van Ds.
    "We had two consistory meetings already this week,         Veldman; en kennis genomen hebbende van de afwij-


               .
   200              -     ' .              T.H-E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

  zing der aanvraag  op. grand dat de schuld geheel bij        with  r& are prdying that your prayer may not be
  den kerkeraad  ligt, en tevens dat zij het rapport `der - h e a r d ! .
  classicale cdmmissie -aanvaardt ; komt tdt de voigende              -In qrder that I be not misunderstood I would~ like.
  conclusie  : dat zod lang Ds. Veldman weigert zijn to make plain that I do not' deny that there are sins
  ambtelijken arbeid te verriehten op eene basis door          in ou-r Protestant Reformed Churches, nor that the
  den kerkeraad gewild h-et onmogelijk is Ds. Veldman          call to repentance is out of place. Rather I object to
  langer voorgaat in den dienst des Woords. Zdolang in the implication of  ydur meditation that our churches
  dyze' situatie ge6n yerandering komt meet hij hem den        are filled with and about to be, or in the process of
  kansel ontzeggen.' There it is.                              being,. destroyed by Heynsiatiism. This I emphatically
      "I asked- the con&tory  last night what evil, I hid      deny-and insist that, in as far as I am acquainted with
  done, and read `to them Articles 79 and 80 of our            our ministers and our people the truth is upheld and
  Church Order. I asked them  which sin I had com-             defended. and taught that IGod loves, only His pkople
  mitted. Thereupon they replied that I was guilty of .atid that according to His intention He desires to and
  insubbrdination,  simply did not want `to do what tlie       does save them only. And I'personally, defending $nd
  consistory- demanded of me. I `asked them: what .d6- believing this, intend also to oppose the Declaration at
  you want?  Their*answer  : Submit `to us."                   the proper time and place.
     From all this it is very evident that the, real under:           Nay I humbly suggest that you write another Medi-
  lying cause is that the church in Hamiltdn land its          tation;. stressing once again the need of the restoring _
  Cbnsistory do not intend. to' be or to become a Pro-         .mercy of the Lord, but bemoaning the, in my opinion; '
  testant R&formed  Church.                                    far more prevalent sin of a loveless orthodoxy and a
  . It is also evident that the Consistory has no regard       heresy-hunting dictatorial spirit' of-which I am-sziefi-
  for law and order, that they have very"little respect        nitely afraid. And will `you join with `me in the prayer
  for the divine ministry-of the Word of God, and that         that God will preserve  us from a dead orthodoxy out .
  they manifest an utter l&k of responsibility to their        of which every emphasis upon sanc$fication -as the
  minister.                                                    fruit of justifictition has been legislated.    _
   I And now `the question is : What will Chatham do?                        Yours for speaking the truth in love,
     `Will they simply -evade their responsibility b$ re-        _
  fusing to meet wikh. the Consistory of Hamilton? Or                                                 James Howerzyl.
  will they agree with-the decision concerning his sus-        P.S. Because there are many that feel 3s I do will you
  pension and ultimate deposition?                             please answer this in the Standard Bearer?
     We do not know as yet, but  we will inform the                                                                   . .
                                                               R e m a r k s :
  reader as soon as possible.
                                                  H. H. ."            1. What nonsense is ;this, that' I would pray for a
                                                               split in our churches?` Anyone `knowing me at all
                                                               would never believe it. And 3t is, of course, not true;
                                                               I will say no more about that; will not entertain that
                          A better                   '         thought fo? one minute. God knows how I would- re-
                                                               joice if once &ore  we would all be united, and unitedly
                                                               take our strong stand again& all heresies.
     The following letter came to me recently, and al-
  though I do not like to publish same,. the postscript               i. I, nor anyone else denies that: "the t&.&h is up-
  leaviz me. no choice, so here, goes :      .                 held and defended atid taught that God loves only His
                                                               people and that.`according to His intention He desiws
                              Jan.-g, 1951, Oskaloosa, Ia.     .to and does save them  only." This sentence which I           -
 : Rev. G. Vos                                                 `place `in italics is a literablquotation  from the writer
 Hudsonville, Michigan                                         of this letter. And the $$nt I wish to make in this
  Dear Rev. Vos:                                               connection I  con&der  important. It may  remove  all
                                                               manner of &understanding, It  iS  this: I believe
     This letter is being written to you because your, with all my  heart  ,that every one of our ministers
  Meditation of January 1, 1951, increased immeasur-           teaches what brother Howerzyl  qtiotes in this sentence.
  ably my grief over much that has .b&n written in the         `That, .my d.ear brother, is not the question which `is
  Standard Bearer of late.                                     disturbing our churches. That which you outline is
     Do I understand correctly that .in this Meditation        the positive side of our preaching. What divides us,
  you are personally praying for,- and as Meditation-          according to the wtiy I see it is this: we do not all con-
- author imploring .our people to pray for, a split in our     demn, as vigorously as we' ought, the heresy of Heyn-
  churches? If this is  corkeet  and I can read it in no       sianism. I would like to point out that such negative
  other way, than I assure you that I and many others          confession, the condemnation of all errors repugnant


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                                                                _     .

          1..
                                  T H E   S`TAND.kiRD   B E A R E R                                                                                          zqi

 to the  above\quoted confession, belongs to, is an in- the Protestant Reformed ministry, and that one thing
 tegral part of our duty. The Heynsian conception of                  is: to vote against it. And I fear that this will be the
the covenant, the heirs of the promise, and of baptism                outcome: `there will- be no one who can oppise it, but
 militates against brother Howerzyl's confession, as we `it may be voted down. And that would be tragic. For
 q&ted same. And we come in direct contact with that                  we would be voting down the very embodiment of
 error of Heyhs iti our intercourse with the. Liberated- Protestaht Reformed Truth. Tragic, I called it, for
 immigrants. And they will not confess with you the                   the whole Christian Reformed Chiirch would rejoice.
 positive confession which you ,made in your letter to                I assure ydu that they have studied the Declaration,.
 me. They even had the effrontery to suspend one of                   and they~ know that it is. the embodiment of all that
 our Protestant Reformed ministers, in Hamilton. And                  we have `stood for these twenty-six years ; they know
 they suspended him because he preached and taught that we were thrown out for that which is embodied
 your confession. In his. supension, all our Protestant in th'e Declaration ; they know that the theology of
 Reformed ministers were suspended, prificipally.  Let                Heps is at stake in this  Declaratiori, among other
 us not forget that. And here. is the latest. Whether                 things. Voting it down woul#d simply make our Chur-
they became afrai@ of their own blatantly wicked ac-                  ches the laughingstock  oif the Christian Reformed
 tion or not, I do not know, but they, first, recalled this           brethren who threw fis out for it.. But that is not the
 suspension; second? announced (with the,. three of worst. The most tragic thing is that if we vote the
 them) to the Rev. Herman Veldman and Elder Reitsma                   Declaration  d0wn, we renounce the wonderful way
that they did no longer recognize them as their office                in which God has led us; If we vbte it down, I feel;
 bearers ; and, third, they announced that they loosed                like apologizing to ebery `Christian Reformed minister.
themselves from the Protestant Reformed Federation                    I may chance to meet. But what shall I say to #God? It
 of Churches ; arid, fourth, that they would seek contact             would be a repudiation of so great r&es `He gave us !
with' the 5 other Free Reformed Churches in Canada. '                           4. I must be silent with respect to your last para-
 Now I ask you, what  .else must happen before our                    graph.                        Silent, because ~, the terrible accusations of.
 people's eyes'are open to the danger of the Liberated dead orthodoxy, heresy-hunting,. and of a dictatorial
t h e o l o g y ? `                       .                           spirit bear no label. '
    3. Your nextobservation  I cannot understand; no,                           5. Closing, I would s8y that I have great sorrow of
 not with ,the best of intention. You say, referring- to              heart because of th& prevailing disturbance, especially,
the confession you make and tihich appears above `i$                  since I am co-guilty. I made that clear-in the medita-
 italics, that "defending and `believing this,  (you) in-. tion yoy dislike. And I cannot do anything else but
 tend also td opposti the Declaration (of Protestant Re-" simply tell you that I wrote that' meditation -in the
formed Principles) at the proper time and  plaaoe."                   spirit ,of love, even as I have written this'answer in the
 I cannot ultderstand  this, first, Ijeeause your confession          same spirit of love. There is just one ray. of lighi in
 is'etibodied in this Declaration. Second, the Declara- the dark pictuFe,. and- it is this : whether wk remain
tion comprises absol&ely nothing but that which we true to the truith or not;.whethei we adopt the Declara-
 as Protkstant'Reformed Churches have held dear and                   t<on of Protestant Reformed Principles or not, the
have preached for these twenty-six' years. The error                  Truth of God will. continue its .victori?us pathway of
 of the &ibe?ated is so much alike to the error of Heyn-              shining light. "For we. can do ~nothing against `the
 sianism that  the Mission Committee, knowing this,,  re-             itruth, but for the truth." II Cor. 13 :8.
 printed the `6Geloovigen  en hun Zaad" in great num-                                                                              Y o u r   b r o t h e r ,   '
bers, and sent them to the Netherlands cfiurches, with                     _                                                                  Gerrit Vos. .,_
the intent to combat this Heynsian error. And if we X
 saw it our duty to. combat Heyns. and his error twenty-                                  :                     -:-
 six.years  ago, Why not. make the same determined front                           ,,
 against tine Liberated iChurch& now, seeing they liar-                          . . .                        I N   MEMiORIAM
-bar the same error? Third, 1 tiatiiiot understand-, for              The Ladies Society of the Protestant  Reformed   Church  at
the above-cited reasons, how you cati oppose the De-                  South Holland,  Ill., hereby wishes. to express its sincere and
 &ration.  To oppose is a, very pregnant word. It                     Christian synipathy to -Mrs. John Ho&man,  in the recent death
means to set something oyer against something else.
NOW, if? the Declaration is the embodiment of Protest-                of  ,her son,  '
ant. Reformed Truth, and no one has proven the con-                                                         Mr.- William Hollernan
trary, neither do~1 b'elieve that they are able to, then I                         `"
                                                                      and t6 the other members of the family as well. May the God
ask, you in all seriousness : what in the world are you
going to set  overagainst  it?  Ther,e  is one thing you              of all grace. comfort .and sustain the bereaved in their sorrow.
might do, and I would kindly but urgently plead with                              .                 ;                  Rev. M. Schipper;%es.
;YOU not to do it, because 1 consider  you my brother in y                       .-'                "                  -Mrs. E.  B&nsma,   Sec'y.
                                     :                                                         I                                                              ~


                                                                                                                  \           I


                                                                                                                  .r
  202                             1       T H E   S T A N D A R D ,   B E A R E R
    L
                    A n   Explqwtion  `.                      .       What my #quotations and my past cbnduct over-
             s                                                     against the, Liberated bu'ethren does `prove- is that I
                                                                   leaned over backwards to be nice to them.
         Firsti,"the  Rev. Walter. Hofman ; second, the Rev.                                                     G       .           VoS.
 Jolin Di de Jong; third, the Rev. Be'&rd Kqk ; and
 now  also the Rev. L.  Vermeer  have quoted from  my                                n-n.
                                                                                                P .
 past.tvritings  in connectioti with the controversy that
 is at present disturbing our churches. And they used                                 hgezonden
 my past writings against those who attacked the Liber-
 ated views,' shbwing that "our own Rev. Vos" said nice                   DE  VERKLARING VAN GEVQELEN
things about qchilder  or the Liber&ed Churches. (Al-
 low me to' state in parenthesis that 1 like that style of            Zoo is dus op de laatstgehouden rSynode  opgesteld
 "our own Rev. VoS". .There  is..sometliing  warm in it,           een "Verklaring van `Gevoelen?`, welke is gepubliceerd
 and I *appreciate it. I hope .and pray that the spirit            in The Standard Bearer van 1 Augustus, 1950. Zoo-
 which prompted that sty16 may remain with us),.                   als ons later duidelijk werd, werd dit noodig geacht
                                                                   -ter verduidelijking vans onze belijdenisschriften, m.n.,
         Against. this -use ,of my name and my. writings I         wat betreft het ,Genade  Verbond en den Heiligen Doop,
 have several objections.                                .
                                                                   en met de bedoeling om te weren-de iniportatie  van
         First, it is anachronistic.  Leive my writings in` meeningen, z.g.n,, in stFijd met Schrift en belijdenis.
 their proper chronological setting, and you have nd               wat betr.eft  deze zaken.
 trouble with  it. Suppose  you  would go today to the                Sindsdien zijn ook geregeld over deze aangelegen-
 grocery store with an advertisement dated ~January,               heid' artikelen verschenen  in de kerkelijke ,bladen. Nu
 1931, and demarid a bill of groceries at the prices that          is het niet ,de bedoeling om onze "Kerkrechtelijke" en
 prevailed at that time?. Remember that at the time                "Dogmatische" bezwaren tegen deze "Verklaring van
 tllese  writings- of mine appeared in print, we were be- :Gevo,elen" in `ait artikeltje naar voren' j te br.engen.
 ginning to evaluate orie another. I do not think that             Deze bezwaren -werden daur kenbaar gemaakt vaar
 any one of us -writes today about the leaders i.n the             ze thuis hooren, n.l., op de kerkelijke vergaderingen.
 biberated churches as we did then.                                    Maar we1 willen we op sommige dingen even wij-
  Second, the aboye mentioned  bFethren` know that                 zen en met name de aandachf vestigen op de zonder-
 since I wrote ii1 the past something has been added.              lijke gang .van zaken en van handelen door de Protes-
, I could mention much, but I Will mention something, tantsche `Gereformeerde  Kerken waarbij de kerk van
 which will brook no adverse cri&ism : App61: If any-              Chatham direct bij betrokken  is.
 thing, that little brochure showed clearly what the
 Libkrated teach. And, remember, no one in the Liber-                  De  twe`e bekende Z&dings  Predikariien  tech hebi
 ated churches ever disotined  that writing, or did ever           ben in Canada hard  gewerkt  onder  ,de emigranten
 oppose its err.ors; Allo& me to quote: "Fir when Go@               (Gereformeerden, onderhoudepde `art. 31). Men .heeft '
 gives His baptism to a man, He gives hini a very parti-           daarbij moeite noch kosten gespaard. Men heeft met.
 cular proof of His love.!?' .And therefore I would not            hen'gesproken en gedebatteerd een zeer langen tijd.
 think of writing the things I did at the time the quota-          Zoodat gerust  5 mag  worden  aangenomen,   dat  men.
 tions in question appear.                                         wederzijdsch, met elkanders standpunt op de hoogte
                                                                   was. Ook zutit men dus in de Protestantsche Gerefor-
         Third, I wrote the quotations pedagogically, that is,     meerde Kerken dat de uit Nederland  geemigreerde
 I minimized the differ&% between their bhurches  and              Geref ormeerd,en  niet van plan waren bun , Verbonds-
 our own with the purpose of winning them.                         opvatting hier in ICanada  te laten varen. En dat niet
         Fourth, especially with regard to olie of the quota-      alleen omdat ze er in Nederland ten bloede toe voor
tions, I wrote in defense of the Liberated against Ds. I hebben moeten strijden, maar ook en vooral omdat
 Toornvliet who is one of the Synodicals that evilly               het hun overtuiging is dat ze in deze dingen staan op
 helped to throw out the Liberated, thereby trampling              den bodem van Schrift en Belijdenis.
 underfoot the  very foundations of sound Reformed                     De ipstitueering  van de Kerk van Chatham is.ech-
 Church Polity. And that consideration-influenced  my ter geschied onder de verzekering. dat er was "Vrij-
 friendly approach.                                                heid  van  Profetie", en omdat men wederzijdsch van
         F&h, I object to the use of-my quotations for they        oordeel was dat beide keeningen in 6&n kerkverband
 are .now being used against those with -whom I agree,             konden worden' geduld. En ook en vooral omdat men
 `and  the brethren know that.                                     Wilde bewandelen den Koninklijken weg der Kerk,
         And, finally, I object to their use for they do not       welke weg veroordeeld en" zonde noemt elke onnoodige
r,epresent  a true appraisal of the Liberated or their             verbrokkeling en seheuring, en men niet opwilde den
 theologyt 5 erred; even th.oug;h I erred in ignorance.            weg  d&r se&e.


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                                         T H E   STAN"DAR-D   B E A R E R                                          `_    203

       Nu wordt ook telkens gezegd:.  Wanneer de ,"Ver-
   kl&ing van Gevoelen" in strijd iS met de Schrift, be-
   wijs het dan, en ongetwijfeld gebeurt dit ook. Maar                       OUR-DOCTRI.NE.
   we willen hoch-hi,erop wijzen dat we vooral deze dingen
   zuiver moeten zien. Het is we1 heel eerivoudig om op
   zekey: moment een "Verklaring van Gevoelen'l  als- bet         The C&&ion Of The Spirit World
   ware uit de lucht te doen vallen, en dan heel bedaard
   te zeggen : -"bewijs jij fiu maar eens dat het is in strijd                .I              (    4    )
   met de Heilige Schrift." `Wanneer, w.e echter Prof.                     THEIR SERVICE AND ACTIVITY
   Hoeksema mogen gelooven (en dat do&h. we, althans
   op dat punt) dan is de "Verklaring van Gevoelen" We can &istingGsh between .an orclin~ary am1 an extra- .
   gericht tegen de "Vrijgemaakten". Deze tech hangen             orc@.naiy  service of the angels.
   volgens hem aan de "Heynsiaansche  leer", zijn Remon-             There are, first -of all, the extraordinary services
   strantsch, in &5n woord, niet Gereformeerd. Zwaie              and activities of the angels. This ?ctivity begins after
   beschuldigingen dus. Hij ziet in ons een zeer acuut the fall of man in Paradise &.ncl.  constitutes an im-
   gevaar voor de Prot.  &ef. *Church. Maar, wanneer              portant element in the Divine revelation of salyation.
   men het zoo ziet kust dan niet op een Synode de taak,          This activity of these heavenly spirits occurs often and
   ja,` de bewijslast om deze beschuldigingen 001~ te be-         at a time which one would :.denote  a'turning pdint, an
   wijzen? Wanneer men leest de Vijf  Artikel& tegen              important stage in the development and revelation of
   de  Remonstranten  da,n wordt eerst de zuiver Sbhrif-          God's sovereignly ordained salvation and redemption
   tuurlijke leer  uiteengezet, en vervolgens  leest' men         for His own.
   achter  ~elk hqofdstuk :  ."verwerping der  dwalingen".            Thus we see the angels for the first time when they
   Terwijl ook getracht was met de Reinonstranten-samen           guard the entrance to the garden of Eden. .Even as
   te spreken, wit .enkel op den onwil van deze laatsten          we. read it in Genesis 3 :24 : "So He drove out the man;
   afstuitte. In de  Prot. Ref. Church vindt men  echtey and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cheru-
   niets van dat alles. Is dan de Kerk des Heeren een             b&s,  gnd a flaming  sword,.  which turned every way,
   andere geworden dan in de j&en 16X-19? Mag men to keep the way of the tree!  of life." And throughoyt
   tegenwoordig we1 onverhoord.  oordeelen en veroordee-          the Old Dispensation they appear and reveal things of
   len? Het schijnt zoo, want in plaats van aldus te han-         the Divine econdmy of ,salvation.     In Genesis 18 they '
  , delen  worden  vage  gebaren  gemaakt in ,de  richting        appear to Abraham upon the plains of Manire, yea, the
   van Reformatie-artikelen, geschreven vlak na d& oo-            Lord Himself appears to Abraham accompanigd  by two
   log. $/raar waarom blijft men tot nu -toe in gebreke           angels. At that time the tird reveals to the father of
   om artikelen in dezelfde Reformatie van Prof. Schil-           believers that he and Sarah would receive a son,' and
   der, betreffende de "Verklaring van Gevoelen" met de           He also acquaints Abraham with the impending doom
   Schrift in de hand te weerleggen?                              upon. the godless cities of the plain. In the following
       We kunnen  vbor dergelijke  methoden weinig  be-           chapter, Gen. 9, two angels visit Lot in wicked Sodom,
   wondering  gevoelen. Plotseling  zijn we  gevaarlijke t9 reveal unto that righteous man whose righteous soul,
   ketters geworden waar men voor op zijn hoede moet              according to the apostle, Peter, had. been vexed w`ith
   zijn.  H,et heeft  we1  gelijkenis- op  ,het sprookje "de      the filth and  iniqui'cy of that  _dodmed  city,  that:  %e
   tiolf en de zeven geitjes".                                    Lord was about to destroy the city ripe for extinction,
       Ten slotte  willen we Prof.  Hoekiema  nog  herin-         arid who had~ also come to Lot to extricate him and his
   neren  tian  .zijn  woorden  gesproken in  Chatham  toen       daughters, by fqrce,  out of the doomed city. In ,Genesis
   Pij sorak over zijn strijd met de Christian Ref. Church,       28 :12 and 32 :l angels appear to ,Jacob. We read iti
 n.l., deze: "Wanneer een kerk begint te vervolgen  die           these passages : "Alid he dreamed, and behold a.ladder
`heiliglijk  level naar het Woord  IGods'  (Art.' 29,             set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven :
   N.G.B.)  dit.' een der eerste  ' kenteekenen is van de         and behold the angels of God ascending and descending
   valsche kerk."                                                 on it. . . . And Jacob went on hi& way, and the angels
      En hij voegde er ,aan toe: "V.ergeei  dtit niet."           of ,God met him." It is well, in connection with that
      Inderdaad; Prof. Hoeksema, &n Prot. Ref.. Church :          ladder which  reach@ heaven  `in that dream which
   vergeet  dut niet.                                             Jacob drear&d  while fleeing from his .brother, Esau,
                                     A .      van.Dischdven. that the top of it reached to heaven, and that the angels
                                                                  descended and ascended on it.  Th& fellowship and
  -Noot  van den redactear: Attentie kerkeraad van                communion between the Lord and His peopl'e  is surely
   Chatham!  Lee&t   s.V.p. mijn redactie  artike in dit          a line which runs from the top to the b,ottom,  is not to
   nummer en geef ons een duidelijk  @woord.                      be viewed as synergistic in any sense of the `word, as
                                              H . - H .           something which is the result of the .combined  efforts


        .
  2     0     4
             ,'                      ,i  T H E   S,T,ANDARD  B E A R E R
  of `God and man, or is soniething which proceeds from        came and ministered unto Him," accompany Him
 the living God but then-as dependent upon a work of throughout His earthly life, John 1:51: "And He iaith
 man, such as our faith, but as a work which proceeds unto him, Verily, verily, I sa,y unto you, Hereafter y&?
 from the living God alone, from the beginning to the shall see heaven open, and the angels of-God  ascending
 very end.                      /            _-                and  descendihg  upon  tk;e Son of Man," and appear
 I"    Moreover;@angels serve at the lawgiving  ai Sinai.      especially at, His suffering, Luke 22 :43 : "And ,-there
 This we read. in Heb. 2 :2) Gal. 3 :19, and Acts `7 :53,      appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthen-
 and we quote: "For if the word spoken b$ angels was           ing Him," -His resurrection, Matt. 28,* and His ascen-
 stedfast, atid every transgression and disobedience re- sioli, Acts 1  :lO.
< ceived a just  recompence  of reward.  `. . . Wherefore            Thereupon %4ey appear a few times in the history
 then serveth the law? It was added because of trans-          of the apostles, as in Acts 5 :19 : "But the angel of the
 gressions, till the seed should come to tihom the prom- Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought.
 ise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the            them forth, and said,"-Acts 12  :7, 10: `<And,  behold,
 hand of a mediator. . . . Who have received the law. the angel of the Lord came upon him, and  a'light
 by the disposition yof angels, and have not kept it." shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side,
 Aiso,  they take'part in the struggle  of- Israel, adcording `and raised him up, saying, Ari!e up quickly. And his
 to II Kings 19:35 and Daniel 10 :13, 20, aild we quote:       chains fell off from his hands. . . When they were past
 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the         the first and the second ward, they came unto `the iron
 Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians         gate thtit leadeth unto the city; which opened to them
 an hundred `fourscore and five thousand: and when             of his own accord: and they went out and pas&d on
 they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all        thru one street ; `and fortk;with thk angel departed from
 dead corpses. . . . But the prince of the kingdom of him,"-8  :26  ; "And the atigel pf the Lord spake  unto
 Persia withstood me  oize  and twenty days': but, lo,         Philip,~s.aying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the
 tiichael, one of the chief princes, came to help ,me ; `way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto #Gaze, which
 and I remained-there with the kings of Persia. But is desert,"-27 :22-24 : "And now I exhort you to be of
 I Will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture         good cheer : for there shall be no loss of any man's life
 of truth: and there- is none that holdeth with me` in         among  you, but of the ship. For thiere stood by me
 these things, but Michael your prince." And, finally, ~ this night the angel of God, whose I am, and Whom I
as far. as the Old Dispensation is concerned, to quote         serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought
 no more, the angels announce the counsel of the living before Caesar : and, lo, God hath given thee all them
 .God  -to Elijah and Elisha,  to Ezekiel, Daniel, and that sail with thee.!' And in Revel&ion 1: 1 we read :
Z e c h a r i a h .                                            "`The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto
       In the New Testament this special, extraordinary him to `shew `unto His servants things which must
 service of- angels continues unabated. This fact, that shortly  come to pass ; and He sent and signified it by
 this special service of these heavenly spirits continues His .angel unto His servant John."
 unabated' also in the New Testament certainly cori-                 *Then,the_  angels do not appear again* in Holy Writ
 firms,  tlie truth- that these appearances of angels must until the return of, our Lord Jesus Christ upon the
 not be considered. as merely a part. of the Old Test&         clouds of heaven, Matt. 16 :2'7, 25 :31: "For the Son of
 m&t mythology. We read of angels  at the  ,birth of Man -shall come ip the glory of His Father with His
 Jesus, accor.ding to Luke 1: 13, 20 and 2 :lO : "But the      angels ; and' then He shall reward every.man  accorditig
 angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy to His works. . : . When the Son of Man shall come
 prayer is heard ; and thy wife Elizabeth shall be& thee in His glory,  and all the holy angels with-Him, then
 a son, and thou shalt call his name John. . .  `. And shall He sit upon the throne of' His glory" ; Mark 8 :3& :
 the angel answering said unto him, I am ,Gabriel, that "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of
 stand in the, pres.ence of God ; and am sent to speak         My words in this adulterous and sinful generation ; of
 unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tibings.  `IAnd,       him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh
 behold, thoti- shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until    in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" ; Luke
 the day that these things shall be ,performed,  because       9 :26': "For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of
 thou believest nbt my words, which shall be fulfilled My words, of him shall the Son `of Man be ashamed,
 in their season.' . . . And the angel of the Lord came when He shall  borne-  in His' own glory, and in His
 upon  the& and the glory of the Lord shone round Pather's, and of the holy angels" ; 2 Thess. 1:7 : "And
about them: .and thGy were sore afraid. And the angel to you who are troubled rest ,with us, when the Lord
  said unto  them,  F&ar not: for, behold,  I.  bring you shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels" ;
  good tidings of great joy, *hick shall be to all people." Judas 14: "And Enoch .also, the seventh from Adam,
They are also  .present  tit  .Christ's temptation, Matt. prophesied ,of these, saying, Behold, the L&d cometh
  4 :I1 : "Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels     with ten thousands of His saints" ; R&v. 5 :2 : "And I
                                                                .
                                                                                                     -.


                                       .TH.E'  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           206

   saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who        "The angel of the Lord encamneth round`about them
   is worthy to open then book, -and to lo.ose  the seals `that fear- Him, and. delivereth them. . . . There shall
   thereof        ?"        -                                   no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh
      And at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the            thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge
   angels shall wage war against the enemies of God, Rev.       over thee, to keep thee in all. thy ways." They protect
   12:7 : "And there was war in heaven : Mieha.el  and his      the little ones, Matt. 18 :lO : `"Take heed that we despise
   angels fought against the dragon  ; and the dragon           not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, That
   fought and his angels (which occurred at the time of         in heaven their angels do always behold the face of
   ,Christ's exaltation) ,"-1 Thess, 4 :16 :. "For the Lord     My Father which is in heaven." They are present
   Himself -shall descend from heaven with, a shout, with       in the church and follow her in. her course through
   the voice of the .archangel,  and with the trump of God : .history, 1 Cor. 4 :9, 1 Tim. 5 :21,. and .Eph:3 :`lO : "For
   and the dead  in Christ shall rise  Ifirst,?' they shall     I think that ,God hath set forth us the apostles last,
   gather the elect; Matt. 24 :31: "And `He. shall send &s      as it were appointed to death: for- we are made a
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall          spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. . .
   gather together His elect from the four winds, from          I charge thee before, God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
   one end of heaven to the other," and cast the wibked         and the' elect angels, that thou observe these things
   into everlasting fire, Matt, 13 :41, 49 ;.' "The Son oY      without preferring one before another, doing nothing
   Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather       by partiality; . . . To the intent that now unto the
   out of His' kingdom all things that offend, and them         principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
  which do iniquity. . . . So shall it be at the end of the     known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.!'
world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the               They permit themselves to be instructed by this history
  wicked from among the -just."         `:     .:    .Y         of the church; Eph. 3 : 10, 1 `Pet. 1:12, and carry the
      The extraordinary services of the angels of God,          believers into Abraham's bosom, Luke 16:22.: "Unto
  therefore; accompany important stages ,in the revela-         whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but
  tion of God's sovereignly ordained salvation. These .unto us they did minister the. things, which are now
  angels do not effect salvation, never impose upon the,        reported unto you by them that have preached the
   sovereignty or work of the living ,God, but they do take     gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
  part in the history of the realization andmanifestation       heaven ; which things the angels desire to look into. . .
of that salvation. `They are heavenly spirits in the            And it came to- pass, that the beggar died, and was
   service of the Church of God, and serve the Lord in          carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich
  the sphere of His salvation and grace. Consequently:          man also died,. and was buried."
  when Christ Himself comes and His .Word has `been                Holy Writ does not enter into a detailed discussion
  fully revealed unto us, this special activity of the          of ,these' various activities pf the angels ; however, as
  angels reaches an end. What could the angels give us,         we may- readily surmise, many efforts and attempts
  after the Lord gave us-His Son and the full revelation have been made to probe into these various activites
  of His Word and salvation?                                    of the heavenly spirits. This is particularly applic-
      ,We can also speak, in the light of the Holy Scrip-       able to the idea of their being guardians over the
  tures, of the ordinary services or activities. of the         people of God ; we often hear them mentioned as
  angels of the Lord. _ They praise God, we read, day           guardian angels. Some havev assigned two angels to
  and night. "When the morning' stars sang together,            each person, whereas others have declared that a good
  and all the sons of -God shouted for joy?", Job. 38 :7;       angel and an evil angel accompany each person thru
  Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength,        life. Others declared that only Christians have a
  that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice           guardian angel and that they receive a guardian angel
  of His word", Ps. 103 :20; "Praise .ye- Him, all His          of greater or higher glory and significance in the
  angels ; praise ye Him, all His hosts." Ps. 148 :.2 ; "And    measure `of their personal services and activities in
  I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round the midst of the, church of God. And so it, was also
  about the throne and the beasts and the elders:  and          claimed that churches, lands, peoples, plants and ani-
  the number of them was ten thou,sand .times ten thou-         mals,`.arts  and sciences all have their own guardian
  sand, and thousands' of thousands.".  .The Scriptures' angel. Moreover, the ordinary- services of the angels
  surely give us, the idea that this occurs audibly al- were also described as consisting of intercessory pray-
  though we are not in the position to understand this          ers which they prayed unto God in heaven in behalf of
 praise of the heavenly spirits.                                the people of God. The Roman Catholics .generally'
     `They rejoice when one sinner repents, Luke 15 :I0 :       believe in these guardian angels and also in their inter-
  "Likewise, I.say unto you; there is joy in the presence       cessory prayers. The Lutherans in `their tionfessions
  of the ,angels  of G&l over one sinner that repenteth.".      speak of these i,ntercessory.prayers  by. the angels, al-
  They watch, over I&e believers, Ps. 34 :7,' 91 :lO-li :       though the Lutheran theologians were most careful in


                                                                                                  ,
206                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BE'Al3Ei-Z   /

their views in re a guardian angel. The idea-of a             ous because on account of some technical error his
,guardian angel and their intercessory prayers were -protest may never reach synod. Here are Rev. Petter's
unanimously rejected by R,eformed theologians.                own words, "That is the burden with all its incon-
                   (To be continued)                          veniences, its embarrassments, its dangers that by
                                         H. Veldman.          technical error the inexperienced layman fail to carry
              i                                               his protest through and  -thus be, by the following
                                                              synod, bound under this deliverance in spite of his
                                                              grievance."
                                                                 Now we are ready to have Rev. Petter tell us why
          Rev. Pette:r's  6th &d kh                           it `is that synod involved itself in the sin of hierarchy,
                                                              that is, the sin of lording it over the churches, in advis-
                    - Instalments:                            ing the churches "to evaluate and approbate the "De-
                                                              claration." He tells us in,the following lines. I quote :
                                                                 "Did it (the Declaration) go through the various
   Rev. Petter still has a fifth fault to find with Synod,    steps of this constructive process? (It did. not, Rev.
1950, a fault growing out of. the fourth. It is this:         Fetter wants us to reply). Can the. synod (conse-
Synod hierarchically imposed the  `:Declaration" upon, quently-0.) truthfully say, that here the churches
the churches. `Here are his. words, ""The Declaration         have the best that her spiritual gifts and talents can
is .a hierarchical imposition upon the churches" (Con-        produce (the churches cannot truthfully say this, Rev.
cordia,  for Dec. 21). But of course Rev. Petter'scon-        Petter wants us ,to reply) and therefore may be con-
tention raises this question: What then is synod's            sidered very probably beyond and above challenge?
hierarchy in the matter ,of the `"Declaration"? Where-           "The Acts of Synod show plainly that this is not
in does it- consist?                                          the case.
       To understand Rev. Fetter's answer we must know           "As we have seen (so Rev. Petter continues) this
what he means by them expression "constructive pro-, Declaration originated in the .Committee  of pre-advice
cess" appearing in% his reasonings. This is clear from        (elsewhere h'e gives .his readers to understand that the
the following lines. He writes, `6For it is understood        "Declaration" 'originated in the Mission  .Committee
that such a prod&t (doctrinal deliverance of, synod -40.) to whom the question was re-submitted on Fri-
like the "Declaration-O.) is (first-O.) proposed  ,by         day afternoon. And on Monday evening when synod
a `member who brings forward the best he can as to reconvened after the week-end recess, the proposed
form and content. With this he goes to the consistory, Declaration was read and adopted.
her,e it is again seriously considered, controlled, .cor-        "When now. the readers consider that this material
reeted,  improved. This improving developing process          is involved, argumentative matter, that it covers about
is again repeated in classis. It then finally comes to        thirteen typewritten pages (I will return to this state-.
synod, where the. ablest, most ,experienced,  once more       ment in the sequel and expose it for what it is-thor-
carefully weigh, consider, improve, perfect the pro-          oughly untrue-o.) ; that this was read on. the floor
jected deliverance or decision."                              of the synod and then adopted the same evening, then
   ,It is plain what: Rev. Petter means by the expres-        the readers can judge how well all the members of the
sion "constructive process", namely, the correction,          gathering were able to'digest, evaluate, judge and ap-
improvement, development that a doctrinal deliverance         prove this material. (Indeed, we shall'see about this in
undergoes in consistory,  classis and synod after it the sequel-o.).
has left the hands of the layman with whom it origin-            "Then the readers can judge whether the Synod
ated and with whom all such documents, doctrinal de-          could truthfully say, `this is the best that your trusted
liverances, should originate, Rev. Petter means to say.       servants to whom, as to the oldest and most experi-
 To understand Rev. Petter's answer we must calso             enced,. you have intrusted the formulation of your
know that, as R,ev. Petter sees it, the burden,. obliga-      faith, are able to do: . i . It is therefore binding on
`tion, duty, to appraise, evaluate synod's doctrinal de- you. ;And should anyone doubt the worthiness of this
liverances, and if need be prove them unworthy, is            product, the burden of proof lies wholly with you.'
always from the nature of matters a burden, obliga-              "Can the Synod honestly lay this burden of proof
tion, awfully heavy, a burden therefore that the mem-         upon the membership.7" hit cannot, Rev. Petter means
bership can bear only wi,th great effort, an obligation to say.
the meeting `of which requires great exertion and is             Here we have the brother's answer to our question
fraught with danger. And why? Because, says Rev.. why it is that, in advising the churches to -appropriate
Petter, it is so very inconvenient, so embarrassing, so       the "Declaration" Synod -involved itself' in the sin of
dangerous for. an aggrieved layman to protest de- hierarchy, that is, in the sin of  larding it over the
eisions and doctrinal deliverances of  synod,-danger-         churches. ' His answer is this :                         ,


                                                  .THE           STbNDARD                  BEARfiR                                        ,207
                                                            *
              I. For the laity:,the burden, obligation of evaluating           1. Synod, .being the servant of the churches and
            and approbating ,and if necessary, protesting the de-          not their lord, has not the power to lay burdens on
            cisions and doctrinal deliverances of synod is -always         the churches. 2. The  bnrden of approbating  synodi-
      from the nature of matters heavy.                                    cal (classical) decisions  is-mark  you, I say is-the
             II. The burden of evaluating and approbating the              churches' .and therefore cannot possibly, be laid upon
            "D,&laration" and, if need be, proving it unworthy, is `t h e m   b y   s y n o d .             ' .
            a heavy task for the laity.                                        This burden, obligation, r'esponsibility is the churc-
                                                                           ches' for two  r,easons:  I)  Thi.s burden is prescribed,
            III: Synod's laying this heavy burden on the laity in          laid down,< in article 31 of the. Church Order of Dort,
            the churches is unfair, unjust, and dishonest and on           definitely in the following italicized clause of Art. 31,
            this account hierarchical, for, .-                             "and whatever may be agreed upon by majority .vote,
 A. It was not the best that the churches assembled                        sh.ull de  considmeremd settled  ancl binding  unless it be
                  in Synod could produce, fqr,                             proved to conflict with the Word of God. . . .that is,
                  1. `The Declaration had not passed through the. such is the meaning of the clause in italitis, every con-
                     uarious steps of that "constructive process",         sistory, officebearer, common member, shall receive
                     that is, it had not first undergone the correc-       the synodical  (classical) decision, deliverances, .appro-
                     tion, improvement, and development that' a, bate it and unless Scripture and conscience forbids,
              I  ' doctrinal deliverance should always undergo             consider itself `(himself) bound by it. It is the Church
                     in the consistory, blassis, and synod after leav- ,Order speaking here, not  8ynod, laying upon the
                     ing the hands of the laymen with whom it              churches this' burden, commanding them as their lord
                    `originates or should originate, for,                  to shoulder it. 2) The Protestant Reformed Churches
                                                                           constitute a communion  ,of congregations federally
                     a. It was at best but two days in process of          united on the basis of the Church Order and thus aiso
                        production.                   _-
 '                                                                         on the basis. of Art. 31.. It means that all the churches
                     b. ISynod read the- "Declaration,, and immedi-        -consistories, officebearers, common  meinbers-of
                        ately thereupon adopted it. This #must be          their own volition .shoulder all the burdens, assume all
                        considered amazing, for,                 j         the obligations, .prescribed  by the'.Church Order. And
                        x. The.material,of the "Declaration" is in- therefore, I repeat, the burden of approbating the
                           volved, argumentative matter.                   "Declaration" is the Churches, and cannot be laid upon
                        y. It covers about thirteen typewritten` them by synod.
                           pages.                                              This `brings. LIS to the question: Does Rev. Petter
                                                                           have the moral right to accuse synod (1950) of hier-
               Therefore Synod's laying upon the laity (this is the        archy, of the sin of lqrding it over the churches ?
            term that Rev. Petter uses) the heavy burden of ap-               Let us see. First, did synod, as assuming the role
            probating the Declaration was-unfair, unjust and dis-          of lord of the churches, command them to approbate
            honest and on this `account: hierarchical.
      .,                                                                   the "Declaration"?  ,On the contrary, it merely ad-
               Apparently, Rev. Petter has succeeded in building vised, petitioned, the-churches to `shoulder the burden
            up a powerful case against the "Declaration". His              of approbating the "Declaration", to address them-
            argument is bound to'make  an impression. Yet, it is a         selves to this task-a task that is theirs by virgtue of
            not;good argument. First, its underlying basis is thor-        what they are, to wit,. a communion of congregations
oughly hierarchical. Second, it is a false argument                        organized on the basis of the Church Order.               '
            as such a,nd therefor,e  does not even prove the bier,             Second, was synod occupying the position that' if
.  archical proposition reposing on this basis;  .I have                   the "Declaration" cannot be.,proved  imworthy to the
            need of ,making this plain.                                    satisfactio% of synod, it must be considered binding?
               1. The' underlying basis of R,ev. Petter's argument         On the. contrary, synod's position was that  if  the'
            is thoroughly hierarchical.. . What is this basis? It-is       churches are satisfied'that the "Declaration,, is in-con-,
            this:  that  syriod lays  burcleqs on the churches.  That fliot with theScriptures,  they shall not consider them-
       this is Rev. Petter's view is clear from the question he            selves bound by it.                               ,
       puts. He asks, "Can the synod thus honestly lay this                   Finally, did Synod issue a warning that the con-: .'
       burden (the burden of proof-O.) on the chugches ?"                  sistory rejecting the "Declaration" would be penalized
               The idea that syrzod lays burdens on the churches,          with deposition?  ,On the contrary, the' position of
       even such a burden as that of- approbating synod&d                  synod was that as far as synod's power to penalize' a
      (classical.) decisions -and doctrinal deliverances, is a             consistory  with deposition is concerned, the churches
       thoroughly hierarchical  tionception.   : Synod does not            may do with the "Declaration" what they `please:
       lay burdens on the churches,.not even the burden of                 adopt it or reject it, or take no notice of it st all.
       approbating its decisions, Aud for two reasons :                      Does Rev. Petter have, the moral right to lodge
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                                                           .J-
208                              '1 /  ir;yTHE  STANIjkRZ)   B E A R E R
against synod the charge of hierarchy? He does ndt.               of this Declaration that& to be considered binding
This- is pl&n as can be.                                          unless. . . . Church Orde$Art. 31."
    bet it be 1) that the cLDeciaration'y  previously had            Rev; Petter, it seems, must have felt that the charge
,&ot passed through that "constructive process ; 2) that          of heirarchy which he lodges against synod is without
as to its subj,ect matter it is involved and apgumenta-           found&ion. .For in these paragraphs he supplies his
tive (a thilig that is ;iot true, as I shall, make plain) ;       accusation with new *grounds,  as is evident from his
3) that it was but a day and .a `half in process of pro-          terminology. That  unxlerscor.es-mark you :  under-
duction in the committee; 4) that it is thirteen pages            sco?!es--the hierarchical nature of the Declaratidn.
long ;-how on this account can .it possibly tie right' to            Let us pause for' a moaent to consider  these- new
brand it a "hierarchical imposition," if: 1) Synod did- >grounds.   It  -is not  true"that  th6  churche,s h&e but
not command the churches, but simply advised, peti,-              two months (from October, the month' iti whiih ap-
tioned them to approbate it; 2). if, as Rev: Petter him-          peared the Acts' of Synod, to Jan. 10) to evaluate the.
self tells his readers ( Concordia,j for `Dec. 21). `"Synod       "Declar@ion' `and form an opinion. The document
did not adopt-the Declaration but merely proposed it was pri,nted in the Standard Bearer for July 1 as head:
to the churches in drder that -by way df consistory               id by the notice, "The following was adopted by our
and  classis it  could come to  ,synod," and thus pass' last synod." And further, "A Brief Declaration of the
through these "constructive processes" in all the con-            Principl'es ofTthe Protestant Reformed Churches". It
sistories, both classes and finally in Synod ; 3) if, as          concludes with, -the announcement to the effect. that
far as synod's power  to. penalize a consistory With              "Synod subjects the entire document to t&e approval
deposition for rejecting the `6Declaration" is concerned,         of the churches for adoption in the ne,xt synod, if no
any consistory may do with the "Dixlaration" whdt it              objectiqns  are. offered". And as transl.ated <n Holland
pleases ; adopt or reject it, or take no notice of it at all ;    it was again prir&d in the Standard Bearer for Aug. 1.
4) and  if; finally,  ally consistory, officebearer, com-         Form July 1 to-Jan. 10 is five months; not ttio. Does
mon member is.freed  from,the obligation of considering Rev. Petter discount  these three  motikhs? If so, on
himself bound ldy the "Declaration", if he is satisfied           what grounds? Besides; the churches of Classis East
in his mind and heart that as to its subject matter,              will  .,disouss the "Declaration" in a  bpeeial   classis to
it militates. against the 8Script,ures  ?                         convene in the month of FebruaYy.         And if need be,
    If all this is true, and it is true, then it is utterly       tKe "Declaration" ,niay again be taken tip for dis.cus-
imp'ossible for the "Declaration" to be a hierarchical            sion on the &ril Classis. -1That .would make in all nine
imposition.                                                       months; a number that Rev. Petter reduces to two.
    We therefore must not let our hearts be troubled              Verily,. this new g$ound on which Rev, Petter founds
by what Rkv. Petter  *rites in connection with this               his charge against synb$ is as fictitious as the ground
matter in his latest trticle `( f`Concor&a" for Jan:`4j. , that Synod. lays burdens on the churches. It means
I quote,                                                          that Rev. Petter's charge is&ill without grounds.
                                                                     That of all in+, Rev. Petter'should:`be  lodging the
    "In the  &eced&?trtieie  I emphasized that the ' charge of hierarhhy against synod ! `I
Declaratiori was according to its origination,  hi&
archical. Since I wrote these words this truth ( !"?`?I                                    :g ,*.-*  $
has. been underscored. For an announcement ha`s `ai-
peared by the Stated Clerk of Classis-East reminding                THE REST  6F REV. PETTER'S REASONING
.that all matters for Synod bust be brought to Classis               Rev: Petter lays the hierarchical construction dn
of Jan. 3, including reports of the consistories on the           Art. 31 of the Church Order. He thus' donstrues  this'
B r i e f   Declaration.                                          article as ' do the Synodicals  iii the Netherlands .and
  "If now `we remember that the Acts in which .we                 the Christian Reformed here  In the States. According
get the full- pictur.e of the origin (and how revealing to this construction, SynodOis  lord of the churches em-
that picture-o.) did not appear until `October, then              powered to lay upon-them burdens. That this is Rev.
i;ve have about two months to `prepare an evaluation              Petter's view is plain from the following lines. He
and criticism of the work of the last Synod.                      writes, "Thus the reader' can judge whether  sjmod
~"When we  ,consider  how difficult  it. often is for             could truthfully appeal to the -underlying p&ciple  of
laymen to formulate an opinion and steer it through               Art.`31  `afid  say?  `This  is the best that  ZJOUY   w&thy
the technicalities to a- *synod, we realize hdw little it         servant (the,&nod)  are able to do. . . .It is therefore I
means to just say, that the synod can safely propose. binding  Upon  zjou (italics-O.) And should `anyone
a Declaration, and leave it to be discussed by consis-            doubt the worthiness of' this product, the burden of
tory and classis  and so to xx&e to the synod of 1951.            proof lies wholly, with you.' This is the burden with
This so-called year of deliberation boils down to about all its inconveniences. -. i . Can the syriod. thus "hon-
two months, That underscoxs,the  hierarchical nature              estly lay this burden of $rbof-upon the membersh'ifi?:~

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                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D '  BlzAkEk                                              209

          If words ha;ve .meaning, then .&he point that Rev.          brovision for his  supporat.    And if.  thi brother would
       Petter here argues is that synod must see to it-that it        have accept&d the call, he would have begun teaching
      does `not lay upon- the membership the burden of proof          in our school the folilowing ;September. The churches,
       unjustly, implying certainly that synod is empowered           (cons&tories, office-bearers, Common members) do not
       justly so to do.                                               and may not postpone considering themselves bound
       Further, according to this hierarchical construc- by the decision until they have learned one another's
       tion, the synodical (classical) dekision  is binding , be- -reaetiol?s  regarding it. Unless conscience forbids, the
       cuzise synod  Teas said. Rev. Petter's way of saying this      decision binds a niember  (consistory, oi?icebearer,  corn-    .
       is that the decision is binding;be&use it is the product       mon  member3  `immediately and persistently, regard-
       of the ,best brains in the church collected in synpd; as       less of how many members in the church may be oppos-
       if we have a hierarchy of brains in our communion.             ed to the decision and may be wanting to protest it. .-If
        Third, according to the hierarchical construction,            he is satisfied in his own heart that the-decision does
       the synodical,decision  is settled and binding unless. and nbt militate against the Scriptures; he must consider
       until it is proved to conflict  with the Word of God           it binding upon him until the churches assembled in
       to the-  sati-sfaetion of synod.  Such is Rev. Petter's        synod nullify it.
       conception of the matter, as is evident from his reason-       _ The article 31  m#aketi provision for the conscien-  "
       ing cited above and Qom the following statement from           tious objector to synodical (classical) decisions by
       his pen, "That is the`burden with all its inconvenience        declaring  that "whatsoever be agreed upon by major-
       . . . .and its dangers that by technica. error the in-         ity of vote `shall be  c0nsidere.d binding,  unless it be
       experienced layman  ftiil to carry-his protest through         proved to  conflict  .with the Word `of  Gocl. . .  ."  The
       and thus be, by following synod, bound `under this             meaning is that if the offended member (consistory,
       deliserance  in spite df his grievance.,, Here we have         officebearer, common member) is satisfied in his own
       the idea expressed that the layman is bound by synod           hea& that (thus the meaning ip not ; has proved to the
       -the following-even despite his grievance.                     satisfaction of synod) the decision is in conflict .
          Let us get before us the right interpretation of the
                                                      .               with God's Word, -he may not cons'ider  himself bound
       article. The article reads,                                    by it. And then  his self-evident duty is to protest
          `?f any one complain that,he has been wronged by            th@ decision in the synod via consistory and classis.
      the decision of a minor assembly, he, shall have the            If synod canhot be convinced, and if the protestant
       right to appeal to a majbr ecclesiastical assembly, and        cannot for conscience  s&ke change his attitude, the
      -whatever  ma,y be agreed upon by a rnajody vote shall          churches 1 are tolerant, if possible. If a  consisttory
       be considered set&d &d binding, unhess it- be prove&           must be excluded- from the f,ellowship  of the chui=ches,
       to conflict with the Word of Gob or wlith the articles of      it may not be -penalized with deposition either by
       the Church O$er, as long as they aYe not changed. by           classis or synod.
       a general synod.                                                  In the light of these obserdations  I have need of
         e In this article .we h&e not to do with the truism          examining a few more paragraphs from the article
       that Sjmocl is in duty bour5d to pronounce the decision        of  Rev.  P'etier   w&h which I am now occupied; He
       void, if it be made to see that its `deliverance is in con-    writes,                            `I
       flitit with the Script&es. That certainly is a  self-             "Rev. Hoeksema says that to'avoid the semblance                  L
       evident -obligation. And fdr articles laying down self-        of hierarchy the synod-did not adopt but merely pro-
       evident obligations the churches have no need. Nor posed it to the churches in order that by way of con-
       is the ruljng of the article that the decision is binding      sistory and classis it could come, to th& next synod-..
       unless and until someone proves it anti-scriptural             Observe  ,that thus the Mission Committee  still  hm
        to the satisfaction ofd,S'ynod. Nothing could be more         nothing. `For .from this document which of course has
       hierarchical than such a ruling.                               no authority, and will first have to be evaluated by the
          `Shall be considered settled  and binding," is the          churches, the commit,tee  of couise can distill no form
       clause to which we first must have regapd, It means            of guidance. Thus the calling church  ,and committee
       that, for reasons already stated, all the churches `(con-. which had the perfect authority to make their. own
       sistories, officebearers, commqn member,s)  , if they are      Form, pow &ill have to distill a form out ok something
       satisfied. in their hearts that the decision does *not         that has no authority even, inst;ead  of drawing it' out
       militaty against the Scriptures (and the  a.rticles- of        of our `Confessions in the light of 1924, which they
       the ,Church.,Order) , consider themselves bound- by it..
       .  -  .-                                                       were able to do." (Concordia ,for Dec. 21)
       And on the,sssumption  that the churches will approve             First, in this paragraph Rev. Petter refers to the,
       its decisions, Synod also  makes provision for their . ~+0eclaration,, as  `a document without authority on
       immediate execution, as for example it did two ,years          the ground that it must still be evaluated by the chur-
     ago, when it  extend'ed to one of our ministers a  call          ches and  adopted  by  the  (comhg)  'synod. But is it
~      to teach in  our school. The synod  immediately  ma&           true. that the "Declaration" though it must still be


 210                                   T       H    E               STANDARD   k-EARER

 adopted by synod,.is without authority, and that,  a&                  that by way of cormsistory and classis `it could come
cor'dingly, the Mission Committee and o&missionaries                    to the next synod. I believe Rev. Hoeksema.  did make
 in the field still have nothing? No, ik is not true. As                some such statement. But  be this as- it may, I  am
 Rev. Petter himself .knows-he tells his readers about                  n!taking it my own  an.d assuming full responsibility
 it in his next paragraph-the last synod decided to                     for it.  .The implication  of. this  staOement  is that the
 adopt the `"Declaration" as a working hypothesis"- for                 last synbd could have adopted the `"Declaration" with-
 "the Mission Committee an< the missionarie$ in the                     out involving itself in the sin of hierarchy. And why
 organization of chu;ches," to quote Rev. Petter's own                  nbt? Does not Art. .31 of the Church Order safe-gtiard
 words.' Mark you well, th,e "Declaration" as a:work-                   the conscientious objectors to  Synodical (classical)
 ing hypothesis" (66working basis" in the language of                   decisions? Isn't it true that Synod can only advise
 Rev. Petter) reposes-upon a synodical decision. And                    and petition and not command? Isn't it true that our
 according to Art. 31 of the Church Order, the churches,                consistories,  as .far as synod is concerned, ,can do as
 every officebearer and common member by virtue of                      they please,with t~e,f`Declaration"  without being penal-
 their voluntary inclusion in our communion (a com-                     eizd by synod or classis with deposition? But to avoid
 munion of churches organized on the basis of the                       the sembZanlzce of hierarchy` the (last). Synod did not
 Church ,Order) are in `duty' bomld to consider them-                   adopt the `6DeclarationJJ  but merely prop0se.d it to the
 selves bound by the decision, to consider themselves                   churches in order that it could come to the next-mark
 bound therefore by the  ii~Decla~ationJJ  ;~s  `a working you Pzezt S$nod by way of consis'lory  and classis. Yet,
 hypothesis <for the Miqsion Committee and the mis- though by this decision synod did actually avoid even
 sionaries in the organization of churches, mlless  they                the semblance of hierarchy, Rev. Petter, nevertheless,
 can prove the decision to be in conflict with the word                 lodges against &mod  (last) the heavy charge of hier-
of God for a reason which would have to be that it is                   arcliy. This to my mind is as ridiculous as it is untrue.
 heretical, that the `Gospel it sets forth is not the Gospel             . ' There is' still -one more opinion of Rev. Petter for
 of the Confession and the Scriptures.                        .'        me to examine. Rev: Petter writes:
        And fact is, as yet no one has proved that the de-                  "But here we must also add that no one who has
 cision runs contrary to the war< ?f ,God, no one, eiiher serious objections to the Declarations needs to `go the
 Rev. Petter, Or the Mission Committee or the Nis- way of Consistory and; Classis.                            The layman might
 sionaries.     How then can Rev. Petter Abe telling his                easily be side-tracked and disc&raged by the familiar *
 readers, definitely be telling our Missionaries that                    expression  .of Consistory,  Classis, and Synod. But
 they have nothing? Are not` ou`r missionaries of their                  certainly any mefiber has the right and privilege to.
 own volition included in our communion?-a com-                         go directly. to Synod without asking the support of any
 munion of congregations organized on the basis of the                   other body oar gatherihg .for his serious' complaint to
' Church Order of Dort? Does this iot mean that they                     Synod (Van Dellen-Monsma, The Church IOrder Com-
 have pledged themselves and are continually -pledging                   mentary, p.. 203 ; Joh. Jansen, Korte Verkl... K.O. p.
 themselves to honor the articles of our Church Order                    2 0 6 ) .            .
 including art. 31? How, I repeat, can Rev. Petter be                      "If this is not remembe&d  there will be many per-
 telling them that they have ndthing, and telling not                    sons who' will be side-tracked and discouraged from
 only them but also himself and all the rest of us?                      briniitig their objections .and the result, will be that
        Our Missionaries still have nqthing? The calling they are counted as acqui&cing, agreeing, approving.
 church `and the l&ssion Comm. now still have to distil                  Thus a wholly false picture of the reception of this
 -a form out of something (the De&ration) that has no                    Declaration will be given. And this because of the
 authority even, instead of drawing it out of our Confes-                hierarchical nature of its origjnation." * Indeed ! !
 sion? Let them try it and see if they can draw out of                      These lines from- the broth&s  pen again raise a
 our Confessions a different gospel of  `God than that few questions.
which the  `"Declaratio"n"  sets forth, And if our mis-                     1. Side-tracking the layman by the familiar expres-
 sionaries still have nothing, pray, what kind of gospel sion of `Consistory, Classis, to :Synod? Mark you, side-
 may they have been proclaiming  ill the field if not                    tracking the layman, alluring, seducing, deceitfully
 the Gospel bf the `6DeclarationJJ?         I believe we all have        leading him from the right way. And what is  that
 ne&d of knowing. &nd to say, as Rev. Petter is telling                  right way according to the position that Rev. Petter
 his readers, that the "Declaration" is so involved and                  occupies in these particular paragraphs?  j Itq begin-
 argu,mentative  that it takes  months and months and                    ning is the house of the layman and as by-passing the
 perhaps .ye&s  to evaluate it is so uytrue  as to be thor- . consistory and  classis it terminates in Synod. But
 oughly ridiculous.                                                      isn't Rev. Petter in his previous article (Concordia,
        Rev. Hoeksema says-writes Rev. Petter-that to                    for  Dec.  2i) wholly and exclusively devoted to the
 avoid the semblance of. hierarchy the synod did not                     def,ence of the proposition that a synodical deliverance
 adopt but merely proposed it to the churches in order                   reaching synod without first having gone through the


                                    T H E   S?-ANDARD   B E A R E R ,   `I                                           2        1    1

 various steps of corrective, improving,  izonstructive,           iOnly in the exercise of this love in the mid&  of the
 and developing processes in consistory and  classis must brethren  shall `we walk in the ftill assurance of faith,
be branded hierarchical impositions a& that therefore           and shall we indeed hold fast the confession of the
-the consistory'and the elassis may never be by-passed?         hope in Chris!. We  muse be exercised in the love for
    The layman might easily be side-tracked by the the  b.Tethren  and the good works `of  all the saints.
 familiar expression of Consistory,  Classis alid Synod.        And,, let us not forget, that there is, thus understood,
 To Rev. Petter fhe expression is not only a familiar           a very &se inner and spiritual relationship between
 one'but in his previous article it appears as indicative       these three admonitions here in the text, namely, "to
 of the only right way to synod.                                $raw. near in faith,,, "to hold f&t the confession .of
                                       G. M. Ophoff.            the hope" and "to excite each other unto love and good
                                                           2    works." For we cannot with impunity sever what God
                                                                has joined together. Let us beware, lest we ' tempt
                                                                God,  as did Israel at Meriba and Massa!
                                                                 !Sotieone tiay ask: but are these adnionitions then
             FEXM _ HOLY  W R I T   f really important? Is it not sufficient that we preach
                                                                that `God infallibly works. His great work in Christ
                                                                our Lord; yea, that we preach it with great fervency
   Exposition 0f -Hebrews IO:1925                               and enthusiasm? *Does God not' work His salvation by
                                                                His almighty grace in Jesus our Lord. And is this not
                            x.                                  infallibly wrought in the hearts of all the elect to bring
                                                                them to the glory of `God's tabernacle with man? Are
    We have now' come to the last `two Serses  of fhis          these admonitions necessary?
very rich portion of the. Word of God as recorded in               And I answer: We  tiust  not be wiser than God
 Hebrews  lO:i4, 25. It is, indeed; a passage full of           who has judged it right and good to employ aclmoni-
 doctrine, reproof, admonition and correction, .that the        tions  in `the minidqj of, reconciliation  to realize His
 man of God be thoroughly equipped unto every good              immutable~  decree respecting the elect in Christ and
 work.                                                          also respecting the hardening of the reprobate, in their
    The' passage that we will co&ent  on in this essay          wilful determination that Christ shall not reign over
 reads as hollows:  "A%d let us give heed unto oize an- `them.
 other unto, the sharpening of love and gpocl wo'l;ks, not         -For thus to be wiser than God, is simply the fool-
neglicting  the gathering together of ourselves as  is          ishness of little man.
 the custom of some, but rather exhorting, an&that by              `"Tempting God" do you ask? Is th&t not too strong
 so mzcch more as we see the .day approaching.,"                language in this connection of  speakiqg  of admoni-
    This `is the third admonition of a series of three:         tions? Do those; who feel that admonitions are not
 Thf: first admonition we read in' v&se 22: "`Let us            nfzcessary for the elect and in consequence of this "pull
draw near with a .true heart in the fulness- of faith,          theirpunches" on this score, tempt God in so doing?
having our, hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience."             Our fathers of Dort dared to employ &ich strong
 The second admoriition we read in verse 23: `"Let us           language. We' shall quote th&m in III, Iv, 17, where
hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not,         we read: "AS the $lmighty  operation of God, whereby
for He is faithfal that promised." And now we come. He p?olongs  and su'pports  this our natural life, does
to study the third adinonition, as written above.               not exclude, but requires the &e .of means, by which
    In these three admonitions we find what we may              God of His infinite mercy arid goodness hath chosen
briefly express as  follows:8   faith-hope-love.  These         to exert His influence, so also the beforementioned
three.  And `the greatest of these three is `love, says         sup&natur&l operation of God, by  ,\vhich we are  re-
Paul in I Cor. 13. The reason no doubt being that `generated, in no wise excludes, or subverts the use of
without love the faith is as dead as the body of tinan          the gospel, which the most wise God has ordained td be
without the' soul. And without love it is impossible the seed of regeneration, and food of the soul. Where-
to have a  living  hope.  It is by faith that works by fore, as the apostles, and teachers who exceeded them,
love that we expect the hope of righteousness. And it           piotisly instructed the people concerning this grace of
is this love.`that must be exercised and activated, ac-         #God, to His glory, and the abasement of all pride, and
cording to the words of the writer to the Hebrews in            in the. meantime, however, neglected not to keep them
our text.           ;                                           by the  iacred precepts  cjf  the'gospel  in the exercise
    Of this exercise of love in hope and faith we would         of the Word, sacraments; and discipline; eveli so to
study in. this article. We would see that the writer this day, be it far from instructors or instructed to
adm&skes,  exhorts unto such a walk in love of faith            presumee to tempt God in  tile church `by  separating
and- hope.                                           3.
                            -.                                  tL)hat  he of his good-pleasure hafh most intimately


           212                                   T H E 'S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ,'

           joined .together. For grace is conferred bzJ means of           ante. I challenge any  man to point this out. If he
           +lmorzitkns;  -and the' more readily we perform our             says it, it is simply his erroneous conclusion. [Our
          duty, the more eminent usually is this blessing of God           fathers were  dgaling with the Remonstrants. And
           working in us, and the -more .directly  is -his work ad-        they keep the concreteness of the gdspel promise in-
           vanced; to whom alone all glory both 03 the means,              mind without employing language that even an Armin-
           and of their saving fruit and efficacy~ is forever due.         ian cannot improve  upcm ! (They do sot say : upon con-
           Amen." (The underscoring in this quot_ation  "from the          dition .of faith! They  say:  for  the  ofie  bklieving and
           Canons of Dort is of us).                                       coming.     They use the present' active participle `in
              We notice that we do not say too much when we                Latin, just as the Greek does in the New Testament.
           assert, that to deny the need of admonitions to the elect' It designates the elect as they are made alive in Christ
           to bring them to glory is a separation of what God              by the gospel through the Holy Spirit. The promises
           has most intimately joined together and, therefore, is          `(yes, plural in the Canons) are for those who God con-
           a tempting of God  ; it is a tempting of God in the             fers grace uppn, the grace of believifig  also through
           c h u r c h .                                                   a d m o n i t i o n s !
              Let us beware on this score. God is not mocked.                 Is there-here something that I c_annot understand,
           Evil communications corrupt good  manneri also on               cannot comprehend?  Yjes ! And here is something
           this poipt. For-the truth of the matter.  is'that  the          that no .believer in this life can fully comprehend ! The
           elect need these admonitions, fo,r giace is conf:erwd           love that passeth understanding:also  passes our under-
           through ndmonit<ons!                                            standing in the manner of its operation in quickening
              With a view to this conferring of grace to the hear:         us from the dead in its Divinely efficacious manner.
          ers, the writer to the Hebrews admonishes the be-                Again I quote the Canons: "The manner of this opera- '
           lievers among the Hebrews.to  give heed to on6 another          tion cannot be fully understood by believers in this life.
           unto the  shakpening of love to be revealed in good             Notwithstanding which, they rest satisfied with know-
           works. However, this- grace is not conferred by these           ing and expei4encing,  that by this  g&ce of Gbd they
           `admonitions ta all who hear the Gospel proclaimed to           are enabled to believe with .the heart and to ,love their `-
           them. It is thus only for fihti e:Lect, fdr the e&t as they     iSaviour." (III, IV, 13).
           are thus efficaciously quickened to life and glory," to          " But the tempting of aGod in severing in His work.
           faith and hope. But admonitions. are a part of the              of grace what He has most intimately joined we know
           preaching, and these admonitions are -the means -of             must he whdlly rejected. And the attempt to rob. Gbd
/          grace, which God in-His wisdom has joined tbgether:             of His $ory as do the Remonstrants, or even to use
              Again someone may becqlne juSt a bit impatient               their language, we niust equally reject and detest with
           in the other erroneous direction (and ask: but since we         all of our souls.            .
           do not know w\io the elect are and since these admoni-             What a marvellous love of God that it energizes me
           tioris come to all, to whom God in His good pleasure            through admonitions, that is; through the new corn- -
           sends the Gospel, is it not true that the prbmises blso         mandment, the "precepts of the Gospel,`.
           come to all? 1. ask what do you mean : come to all ?                Forso'oth,  this  -new commandment must not be
           Do you me$ti that the protiise of the gospel is pveaihed made the law of Moses, %he.Y;ighteousness  of law, which G
           to all who he& the ,Gospbl: that' all hear this glad tid-       says ;, "that- the man that .doeth these things `shall live
           ing of good things: that every-  on"e that believes in          thereby". Roman5 10 :5. These are not the precepts of
           Christ crucified is saved? Do you mean that it comes            our text. Nay the precepts of our text are of those
           to all in this form in the preaching together with the          who possess the right to ente? into the most holy place
     .     command to faith and repentance?. No, you say, I                by the'blood of Jesus. Since we have an High-Priest
           mean that the promise pertains to all. But then you with God.  `It is thus not  ithe precepts  of which we
           are certainly confused and do not speak t&e clear ian-          would be under laaw, but the obedience that is required
           guage of  the Fathers at Dort.  For they say: "this             of us since we are under  grace. Let  us' walk  5n love
           promise of the gospel" inus~ be "preached to all". The          since we are not under law but ueder grace! Let uS
           preaching "pertains" to. all ; not the promise, that is         call together upon the Name of the Lord in Jesus.
           alone  for  the "one believing"  (credentes). And to            And thus let us give heed $0 one another unto love and
           those who believe and come to God the-Lord promises             gqod works, which proceed ,out of a true faith in Jesus,
           life and peace. Hence, the promises which are preach, are performed thus according to the new command-
           ed in the hearing. of all, are only for the believers.          ment of thdse  who are `delivered from sin's bondage
           They are very partid&. It is the general preaching and tire. thus performed in thankfuhiess unto God.
           of a particular promise of life and peace .of. heart. It            We should ndtice that this admonition is rnor6 than
           is rather important to notice, that in the positive part `an  exp!anation.  Just  ati preaching of  the gospel is
           of the Canops of Dort, our fathers do not &y : God              more than an explanation of what the  .Holy Spirit,
           promises. salvation upon condition of faith and repevt-         wOiks  in 0111:  hearts, The preaching is ,phe means em-

                                                    :            _'  ii                :


        SUPPLEMENT.                                                      THE- STANDARD BEARER                                                                                                      F E B R U A R Y   1,1951
                                                                                                                                                                                                        -

               Rep0r.t  o                                     f               Classis  .East.-`-
                                                              IN SESSION  JANUARY 3,  is51  AT-  FIRST CHURCH, GRAND RAPIDS,  MICH.


              The January session of Classis  was held at Fuller Ave.                        .'                                                    GRAND HAVEN:
        The opening exercis'es  were conducted by Rev. J. A. Heys.                                                       Jan. 21. Rev. E. Knott
        The credentials were read and accepted. All the churches                                                         Jan. 28 Rev. R. Veldman
        were represented by `two delegates. According to rotation                                                        Feb. 4 Rev. C. Hanko
        Rev. E. Knott was called upon to  presrde  and  Rev, J. A.                           .
                                                                   -~                                              ' Feb. 18 Rev. B. Kok .  _
        Heys acted as clerk.                                                                                             Feb. 25 Rev. H. Veldman
              The Committee, appointed at the last Classis  to investi-                             -.                                                                                                                                  .
                                                                                                                         Mar. 4 Rev. G. Lubbers
        gate the status of the stated  cle,rk, reports; and in its                                                                                                                                                                                                                 /
        report brings .ont that preferably the stated clerk should                                 ..__-                     Mar. 11 Rev. G.  Vanden  Berg
                                                                                                                        -Mar. 18 Rev. J. Blankespoor
        be an office bearer.  Classis did aot adopt the advice `of                                 =,-.                  A p r .   1   R e v .   M .   Schipper
        the Committee in *this matter.                                                                                   Apr. 8 Rev. J. Blankespoor
       The other matter the Committee had  un,der  consider-                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1.
        atica  was the question as- to who shall be entitled to an.                                                                             CHATHAM:                                                                                                                          -:
w- advisory vote at  Classis.             The Committee advises that                                A.                  Jan. 14 Rev.  J' Blankespoor
        Classis  should limit this privilege to those mentioned in                                                       Jan. 21 Rev. B. Kok
        Art. 42 of  `our Church Order, which article they inter-                                   ;-               Feb. 4 Rev. G. Lubbers
        preted to mean that it included our Missionaries' and                                                            Feb. 11. Rev. H. De Wolf
        emeritus ministers. But Classis  does not agree with this                                                        Feb. 18 Rev. J. A. Heys
        interpretation'of  Art. 42 of the  Chu>ch  Order, as given                                                       Mar. 4 Rev. M. Sohippers
        by this Committee.                                                                                  .           Mar. 11. Rev. C. Hanko
              A report was given by the Committee appointed at t.he                                                     Marl 18 Rev. H. Veldman
        last  ,Classis  -to' study the protests of  .two brethren,-that                                                 Apr. 1 Rev. G.  Vos
        protested against their C,onsistory  for sanctioning the giv-                                            A p r . 8 Rev. R. Veldman
        ing  a.way  of children for adoption. ,  ti  *                                            ,.An instruction from Oak Law&, that all matters for
              In their. report the Committee advises the Consistory to                       the  Classis  be in the hands of the stated clerk-two weeks
        retract their stand in regardto  the question of the right-                          before the time of meeting, so that the stated clerk can
        ness  1of the giving  away*.of   ohildren  for adoption. This                        supply the  con&tories   witlh a brief agenda, is tabled so
        advice was adopted by  Classis.                                                      that  the stated clerk can. look up previous decisions of
              One of the protestants in addition, protested against                          Classis  on this matter.                                                                             -.
        his Consistory  for  ,denying  him the right to exercise  the-                            Another Overture *of Oak Lawn, requesting this.Classis
        office of believers;. and' protested against the hierarchical.                       to reconsider a decision of a prevJous Classis  is ruled out
        dealings  pf his Consistory.                ~                                        of order.
              The Committee advises  Classis  to express -that the                                Classis  decided-to overture Synod to grant the-following
       brother failed  to prove these  oharges.   Classis  adopts the                        subsidies.:
        advice of the Committee in this matter.                                              Grand Haven-without pastor $360.; with pastor $2800.00
                                                                                                                                                            *-
              Zn re `Classical appointments: Oak Lawn requests that-                         `Chatham                   -
                                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2800.00
       their pastor, who cannot conduct- services in the' Holland                            Randolph-without pastor $500.00; with pastor $2000.00
        language, not be sent to Chatham,  where the Holland lan-                            Oak Lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..~........................................$2000.00
       guage is used exclusively. _ This request was granted.                                     A protest of a brother against his consistory,  for spend-
        The Classical appointments were regulated as follows:                                ing money without being authorized thereto by the congre-
                                                                                             gation and  fiis questioning the wisdom of inviting Rev.
                                  R A N D O L P H :                                          Petter to- its pulpit,  .is not sustained by Classis..
                       Jan. 14 Rev. G.-Lubbers                                                    The instruction of Grand Haven, to increase the number
                     _ Jan.  21~ Rev. J. A. Heys                                             of delegates  t,o Synod from each  Ciassis  to six ministers.
                       Feb. 4 Rev. M. Schipper                             .--               and six elders, is not supported by Classis.
                       Feb. 11 Rev. G.  Vanden  Berg                                              A letter of Rev. J.  C: De Korne in regard to an Inter-
                       Feb.' 18 Rev. J.  :Blank&poor                                         national Reformed Mission Counsel is referred to Synod.
. .                    Feb. 25  Rev:R.  VeBdman                                              - In connection with the instruction of the Second Church
                       Mar. 4 Rev. G. Vos                                                    of Grand -Rapids.:- "In view of the present international
                       M a r .   1 1   R e v .   E .   K m t t                    ,-         situation the Consistory proposes to  Classis  to have a
                      :Mar.- 18 Rev. H. De Wolf .                                 '          special day of prayer in accordance with Art. 66 of the
                       -4pr.  1 Rev. B.  Kok                                                 Church Order," Classis  East decided to hold such a day
                       Apr.     8 Rev.-E. Knott                    r .                       of prayer.


                                                                                        .

                                              _          *
         _
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   SUPPLEMENT                                                             THE STANDARD BEARER  -'                                                                                           FEBRUARY 1, 1951

     For this special prayer service  ,Classis  East decided to                                                              3. Refuses to  actept  any binding to the truth of the
   set aside the evening service of Sunday. Feb. 4.                                           ..:  1.:  _  Prot.   R e f .   C h u r c h e s .
     Rev. A. Cammenga protests the- decision- of the last                                                                    4. Wants to accept  -anyland  all Liberated emigrants
-  Classis  in re his protest against Synod  Idealing  with the' 1                                                              only on the basis of their attestation, whether or not
   candidacy of H. H. Kuiper.  Classis  decided that the  pre-                                                                  ~they  agree  with the "doctrine taught here  in this
   vious  -Class&  was correct  in judging that the protest of                                                                  .Christian  church".
   brother &riper  vs. Fuller Ave. be treated. by Fuller Ave.                                                    B. -1. T&t the Committee is of the opinion that the Con-
   before   ths protest of Rev. Ca.mmenga  be read .and treated                                                                 sistory  of Hamilton does nst properly perform its
   at Classis. Classis  decided to send this protest through to                                                              `.:. dnties::' I
   Synod  tcgether  with the minutes pertaining to this matter.                                                                                         I  :
     In  re Rev. Camnienga's protest against Synod,  Classis                                                                    &oLIld~ .~ .:,,,                                                                . . . .
  `decided: That Rev. Cammenga has not shown co!nclusively                                                                      a: They have violated their oath of offisce  in which
   that this sin cmfessed in Doon,  should have been confessed                                                                    3 they promised "to  take- oversight of the church
   in Orange City ,and  that this lack .of confessio!n  in `grange                                                               ' ._. .' which is' committedto them  ,and to diligently look,
   City is not a reason why the candidacy, as decided by the                                                     ;-              .: whether every one deports himself properly in his
   qynod,  shall not  stand; and further; that the minutes of                                                                     confession  and conversation", etc. -Also: "It is the
                                                                                                                                                  ,.
   Classis  West bear out that there is no "faithless deserti;n                                                                         duty particularly to have regard  unto- the doctrine
   of office".                                                                                                          (8..            and  .conaersation  of the ministers of the word" etc.
     ,%n regard to  `the Brief  De&a&ion  of Principles, Classis                                                 P ,  ' ,b. T-hey :have  violated their promise in re.the! For-
   decides to treat this matter in a special meeting of Classis                                                        2:        . . . mula of Subscription which reads as. folle,ws:  "We
  I to.be held Feb. 28 at Fuller  Ave.: and that the stated clerk
   shall send all `the related  mate?ial `cd:. the consistories as                                                .                     promise therefore diligently to teach and  faithful-
                                                                                                                                  x ly to defend, etc."-  -:And  ,also:  "We declare  more-
   soon'as possible.  -  `."  -.                                                                                                        over, theit we not only reject `all ,erro~s, etc."
     Brother H. H.  &riper  protests the action of the last                                                                             That in the Prot. Ref. Churches thins refers to all
   Clrssis, re  Holland's.protest  to Synod.  Classis  expresses                                                                        errors that militate~against  the truth as held in
  `in this matter that the -October  Classiserred in supporting                                                                         the Prot. Ref. Churches is ev.ident.from:.
   Holland's protest.                                       ~.                                                                          1) The-second question in the.Form $o.r  Baptism.
     Rev. `J.  Blcankespoor  also protests against Synod in re  -:.                                                                     2). The first question asked of those who make
   the candidacy of H.  `H.  &riper.   Classis   ,answers:  that                                                                           confession of faith.  -  :                                .  :  I
 * point one of-his  protest has already been treated and that                                                               2. That the `Consistory of -Hamilton natui&ly~  has the
there  .are- no. grounds in point two to object to the  candi--                                                                 right and t.he.calling  to appeal ts ourbroader gather-
   dacy of-H. H. Kuiper:            - i i ?   .,.  -=r                                                                          ings. And it ir;, the desire and advice of  ,the Classical
     The  grieva.&e of a  brother,  tha(t  ,Classis  was remiss in                                                              Committee that  .the  Consist&y   do~soi   I  :'  `, . .
`regard to Art.. 43 of our  .C?hurch Order, was declared out                                                                 3;  Thait  the  Consistory...wi.ll  further  letthe  matter  .-re-
   of  ordsr  osn the `grounds that  only,.;the   l.ast  Classis could                                     .                    main 
                                                                                                                                         ~ &in
                                                                                                                                          . . . .  : $atus: q,uo until :these broader gatherings
   exercise censure in  this;matter.:   :                                                                                       have expressed themselves."
 Classis  decides  that  ,in case brother  Kuiper shall accept                                                   "                                         ,,.~           -. . .  2  .._
   the call from  Randolph  he shall be examined by  Classis                                               .            In answer `to -the protest  of Hamilton,- Classis expresses.
   East in Dogmatics, practical Homiletics and  Practica.                                                       to Hamilton's  Consistsry:.  .(l)- that  i!t has  ,approved  the
     Chatham  asks  per&ission~for  collections-  from all the                                                   advice. of theCls:ssical~  Commit,tee;  `(2) that the protest of
   churches of Claasis East to defray the moving expenses of                                                     Hamilton is unfounded; and, (3). that Classis  holds Hamil'
  Rev. Petter-from Orange City to.Chatliam                             Classis   grants-                         ton's Consistory  -in duty bound .to .enforc'e  their decision
   this request.                                  .~                                                             .cf June 5, 1950,,                                       _                    _~
    Xolland  requests that' a supplement `to its `protest to                                                           Hamiltcn's  request  f&.&e  release-.of   Rev.  H. Veldman,
   Synod ,also be sent thru to Synod. This request'is-granted.                                                   was answered by. the Classis,;as  ,.followa:  "That inasmuch
     In re the Hamilton matter, Classis  decided- to approve                                                     as- the grievous ciroumstances  prevalent .at Hamilton are
   the stand taken by -the Classical Committee.. To, show what                                                   the result of the sinful a.cts of the ,Consistory  of Ha&ton
   this is. I.&l `quo&. ,par,t of the .repor$  of the Cl.ass. .Comm.                                             in not abiding by their own decision .tior- abiding -by the
                                                                                                                -advice of Classis  `in re the twp questions to be asked aspir-
     "The Classidal  Committee'on  `its >r;eeti& of Nov. 15 de-                                       _          ants to mlembership,  Classis  e,xpresses,;that  she cannot  and
   tided  ,to  p r e s e n t   you  the'  .follo'wi%g:   (  .<  `.  "
                                  _,_ :: ,, .  ;  :  .">  /  9                                                   may not assent to Hamilton's request to release Rev.  Veld-
`- A. The' facts:' T& consistory of the
                                    1.                    _:_Han&~   .Prot.  R e f .                             man-from- his charge. unto xvhich  God h&-.&Bed  him and
       Church:  ,,,,,  ,.       ,::  :'                                  "~:_.                                   which charge he has faithfully performed."
       1. Refused to maintain its own  descision  of June'5 to                                                          Classis  decided. to meet in Fuller Ave. Feb. `28 and to
          receive only.  sucli.members-bs  would:                                 .                              consider -this meeting a continuation of the Jan. meeting.
          a. Express willingness to  be&me   acqua~nfed with                                                            The minutes are read and approved.
            and be-instructed-in  &he  Prot:   Ref. truth.  -                                                           A motion to adj,,urn  till Feb. 28 carried:
      I  b. Promise not  -to militate against that truth.                                                               Rev:R. Veldman led i;n the closing prayer.
       2. -Refused. to #abide by. -the decision of -.Clas&  :East,                                                                                                        :  `. D.  JONKER  (Stated Clerk).
          Art;- 4, regarding this matter.                    1                         r^i                                                                                                    :.
                                                                                                                                   /
                                                                                                                                          ~.
                                                                                                                                                :                  ~.           f
                                                                  a


  ployed by the HoJy Spirit to work faith in'our hearts,         congregatiori  when it gathers for divine worship. It                        1
                    "2 .                THti   S T A N D A R D   BE`ARER;ij   :I .                                               213

  And thus it has two elements: teaching of the ritihes          implies more, however. It implies that his own pro-
  in Christ and admonitions to believe and repent. And fession is that as member of that congregation he. is a
  these admonitions are more than explanationi  of .what         member of the body of IChrist, believes in Him, loves
  a  chiId of God will  centainly do. They  ,are admoni-         Him, desires.to  be fed and nourished by Him, because
  tions, they are commands of the King of righteousness          he has the new life of Christ in him. That is his ad-
  to us His people. And by'these the grace of faith and mitted position as a member of the church.                     _
  obedience is conferred upon  the ,elect. And the rest              This church member Absents himself from divine
  are hardened !                                                 woq"ship  except for one service per Sunday. This im-
      W?th this all in mind we shall turn our attention          plies, .of cou&., in the first place, that it is a custom
  .nexrt week to the content of these so sorely needed ad-       among us to hold at least two services pe$ Sunday. It
  monitions of the Gospel!                                       also raises the oft asked question : how often must I 90
      D                                      ,G. Lubbers.        t6 church? Sufiposing that th,e congregation of which
                                                                 I am- a member hoIds 3 or 4 services. per Sunday. Am
                            -:-                                  I to be expected to attend all of them? Or to make the
                                                                 matter a little more concrete, supposing a congrega-
                                                                 tion has' two English and one Holland service, and sup-
              I N   HIS  F E A R .                               posing that. I can understand both languages. Am I
                                                                 oblig'ated  before rGod..to  attend all three?
                                                                    In this latter connection let us point out the fol-
    Church Membership In His Fear-                               lowing :
                                                                    1. We must be careful how we ask the question.
                              7.,                                It is easy to ask the question as though it is a chore
            Not Forsaking the Assembling, -of                    to go to church, to'ask it from the viewpoint of what                  ,
                    Yourselves Together.                         is the external compulsion under which I stand. From
                                                                 that point of view ,I think the ' answer should simply
     east time we told the sad, sad story of the oncer,          be given : You don't have to attend 6hurch at all ! How-
  depicting the historical and logical end of.himself  and       ever, the question may also be asked honestly and in a
  df the church which is the victim of him and his, kind.        sincere desi$e to know what is good. for 
  And we tried to bring the story closer home by em-                                                          us, and, what ,
                                                                 fr,om that viewpoint we ought to do: And then it
  phasizing that the story whose end is so pathetic has          deserves an answer, to be sure.
  its beginning in the sometimes apparently' innocent               2. There `are limits to our church-going capacity.
  and oft unheeded errox of oncerism,  which is a m&i-           There are, in the first place, all kinds of physical
  festation not -absent in our 0~ circles.                       limits. If that were not the case, we could `always be
     This time Jet u_s investigate once&m a little more          in church. We c&n only attend church on Sunday, fdr
  closely, that we may- know what it really is and what          example, because there a?e six days in which'we must
  is the attitude b.ehind  it, and what must be judged           labor. As long as you, are on earth you cannot get
  of it in the light of the Fear of t.he Lord, `whether it is    away from that  fact,  zind God doesn't want you to
  in harmony' or not .&th church membership .in the              get away from it. Even on Sunday there are certain
  fear of the Lord.                                              bh$sical limits. We understand veky well at a glance
                                                                 that we cotild not. sit in church all day. We have to
                                                                 eat, we may have to rest, we have certain necessary
 ' What ii a Oncer?                                              labors to  ,perform,  as, for  ,example, the farmer his
     I think we may safely define a oncer as a church            chores. Besides, there are certain mental limits with'
  member who sins by absenting himself except  fo?               which we deal. Our mental capacity is not such that
  one service per Sunday from divine worship without a           we can profitably.spend the-whole day.in church, for
  proper reason.                                                 example.  A&yone  can understand that too. If we
     A  oncer is a church member. That stands to                 m&e work of  goirig to church;. put forth effort  toi  '
  reason, of  cours8.  But it is also important that we          understand the Word, exert ou&elves  to be fed through
  remember that fact. That implies too that he is a              the ministry of the Word, then' there is certainly a.
  member of a particular congregation. He is therefore,          limit. IOne' can assimilate and absorb only. so much.
`in the first place, ob(igated. because of his connection        After a certain point we become  meritally  dull and
  with the con&regation. He is got a mere individual,            tired and cannot profitab!y listen anymore. For that
  who may d6 as he pleases ; but he is obligated to func-        reason also we set time limits on our service even.                    -.
  tion with the congregation and as a member of the              We mentally reach the point of ditiinishirig returns.
  congregation. And he is obligated -to meet:  with .the         And thus it is  a,lso with our spiritual  capacity.  All


                                                                                                                            ,


' 214                                   THE  STA,NDARD  BEARER                                         i'
  this, however, does not give us any license to be loose       so and so wasn't in church-twice pn a, certain Sunday.
  in this respect. On the contrary, it implies that we          For the most part- they would find out anyway that
  ,should make it our purpose to be as physically, mea-         there was a good reason. But that- is after all. not the
  tally, and spiritually fit for attending divine .worship      Iyuestion   `her,e. We  are not interested primarily in
  as possible, and should bend  every effort to spend           when the cons&tory  should or~:hould not act. We are
  as much time as practically and reasonably possible           interested in ourselves and our own attitude toward
  under the ministry of the Word.                               divine worship..  An< then it is important that we
     3. With a view to that the congregation determines         understand that the?e is habitual and non-habitual
  certain definite times-when it shall gather for worship.      oncerism. Important it is, exactly because there is no
  Generaily the rule is followed of having two sexviees         principal difference between the two, and because for
  per Sunday bf approximately an hour and a half in             that very .reason it is easy for the occasional oncer to '
  length, wit& the second service either in the afternoon       become an habitual oncer. If I take the  prineipai
  or the evening. Such a. custom is established with a          position that I may absent myself from-the services as
  view to the average ability of the members to attend          1, please and without any plausible reason, I have made
  and profit by the ministry of the Word. - It is the rule.     the fundamental `error already. And then it is very
  That does not mean that everione is able to follow            easy to establish a bad'habit. A habit, you know, be-
  that rule, that everyone is physically able' for example,     gins with the first indulgence. And especially when
  to attend two services. Nor does it mean that there           we deal with a problem like this, which cdncerns the
  are not those who can profitably attend church three          contrast between flesh and spirit, it is extremely easy
  times, perhaps, on Sunday. But the general rule is, %o fall into the bad habit of oncerism. I deceive myself
" adapted to the capabilities, mental, spiritual, and physi-    into thipking once or twice that I can stay home from
  cal, of the members, that we hold'services Mice per           church just because `"I don't feel like going", and it is
  @unday. `There are also variations of that rule, mad@ I not long (unless I am enlightened) before I succumb
  because of circumstances. In a certain congregation           to the same deceit every Sunday.
  there may be a sizable element that requires the Dutch;          Hence, it is much better for ourselves if we simply
  then a Dutch service is added, perhaps. I have the : omit the- word habitual, and determinedly assume the
  privilege of attending also the Dutch service, if I can       position thae we are oncers every time we fit under
  understand that language; but I am not, necessarily the definition given in tk;e first part of our article.
 <obligated to attend. In fact, it may ndt even be good                        _-
  for a given person to attend three services, That is at       The Proper Reason.
  least conceivable. In  this connection we do well to             It would not be fair or. edifying, of course, simply
  remember once more that the  -question is  ipiritual.         to brand everyone a oncer who comes to church only
  Your church attendance as such means nothing. The once on Sunday. Nor is that our intention. There
  ChristianL  2s not interested in amassing a large number. may very well be good reasons why a p,erson  can not
  of good behavior marks. Nor should a consistory that          come to church. The essential error of the oncer is,
  faces the problem of ths oncer fall into the error of         however, not a lack of ability to *attend  the. services,
  simply seeking outwardly to qnforce  a 100% attend-           but a lack of'desire.  .And with thatzin mind we may
  ance at both services. That tieans absolutely nothing treat this matter of a p%oper  reason.
  in itself; But the matter must always be approached.             First of all, however' we want to emphasize again'
  from a spiritual diewpoint by ourselves and by the            that this is to a large extent a personal, spiyitual mat-
  consistory that has the duty of discipiinilig.  The ques- ter.  W,e do not intend to pass judgment on all  the
  tion is: what .is my inner obligation and need? Why           reasons that are passed off as proper excuses for fail- .
  does my church hold two  sePvices? Is that for me,            ure to be in church when the saints assemble. Each
  and is it good for me, orlnot?.                               one must answer for. himself before God. The  con-
     You may have noticed that ,in our definition of a          sistory that deals with the problem will soon realize
  ol;lcer $*e did not ddd the qualifi@tion habitually. That     this too. S6metimes you  can run into a situation
 , was' done intentiopally.                                     where the reason given is so foolproof that you can't
     You deal with a mom! advanced fqrm of on&&m                lay a finger on it, and yet you have a'question  in your
  when you deal with the habitual oncer. But princi- soul, and you after all are not convinced. All you
  pally there is` no difference between the occasional          can do in a case like that is to point a person to his
  oncer and.the habitual oncer. Every time I absent my-         spiritual obligation and responsibility, and leave him
  self without proper  reason from the services except          to answer before God.
 one I am a oncer. It is true, of course; those who are            We may nevertheless ask the question: what is a
  habitually absent are the ones iyho are or should be          proper reason? And: what reasons, if any, are princi-
  labored with by the con&tory. It is not the duty of           pally and per se to be judged improper? And we may
  the elders  to run all over the country, finding out why point out .too,  that our starting-point may never be:


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                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                          .-  ,215

can I find a foolproof reason for staying away from                                                         declar%tion  is simply  the- confession, so once again
church this morning ? We very easily  .do that. But whoever opposes it,  regarqlless  of what his grounds
such an attitude does not spring from a living faith                                                        rniy be is simply anti-confessional, unreformed, cer-
at all. On the contrary, we intend to speak of these                                                        tainly not Protestant Reformed and  ii is really  .so
possible reasons only in order that we may honestly                                                         simple. And then the Declaration which is submitted
and in faith examine ourselves in `the light of the fear                                                    to the consistoriq for theiF approval and discussion
of the Lord, may see if there' be any evil way in us,                                                       becomes already the test of soundness and of being
tind may thus be led in the way. everlasting.                                                               Protestant Reformed rather than itself being the ob-
    Hence, before we enter upon this phase of the                                                           ject, of investigation. to determine whether it is com-
subject;we  do well to say with the Psalmist: "Search                                                       pletely and satisfactorily (`Protestant) Reforr&,
me,.0 God, and know my heart: try me, and know my                                                                             But keeping our balance means then that we frank-
thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me,                                                         ly and truly weigh and evaluate and with the best pos-
and lead me in the way everlasting." Ps..139 :23, 24.                                                       sible respect and love for oneanother judge the argu-
   *And we do well, to see to it that.it is our Gncere                                                     ments which are advanced pro and con. But it  Also
and inmost desire atid inter&oh  to heed the admonition means `that we frankly and truly and fairly'evaluate
of Heb. 10 :25, not $0 forsake the assembling of our-                                                       mihat the Liberated, against  -whom the  pkclarati6n
selves towether, as the manner of some -is.                                                                 was. formulated, have to.say. That we hear them and
                                           H. C. Hoeksema.                                                  weigh their arguments and their position, especially
                                                                                                            in as far as they rkpudiate-the  charges openly made
                                                                                                            against them. And this means also that their position
                                                                                                            and their arguments be Fade available. Especially in
                                                                                                            this connection the contribution of the Reformatie
          '     PE&ISC-OPE.'                                                                                must not be ignored. and while I personally believe
                                                                                                           that it lies.in the domain of the editorial department,
                            -                                                                              to make  kndwn and to weigh and if necessary refute
                                                                                                            the position taken, if it is neglected by &at depart-
.Keeping Our       Bakince.          3     '                            *                                   ment I shall attempt even with my own imperfect
   In connection with all. that has- been written recent- knowledge of the Holland language to translate what
ly regarding especially "conditions" and the "Brief                                                         is written  in order that all may fairly and objectively
Declaration" I would sound a note of warning against                                                        judge as to whether the charge of. Heynsianism so
over-simplification and in favor _ of keeping' our bal-                                                     recklessly thrown about lately is true or no.
ance.                                                                                                                         In this connection may I commend Rev. Blankes-
   In the first place  there is the danger of over-                                                        poor on his recent article and may I suggest-further
simplification on the part of those who are qpposed                                                        that each of us personally do some Periscoping in the
to *he declaration. It iS easy to say, there is no love                                                     older issues of the Standard Bearer. There is much
there and so the thing produced is no. good. Or the worthwhile material there upon these subjects. Maybe
attempt is beilig made to `get' Rev. Petter and so we                                                      -your Periscope editor will do some of this for you in
must oppose it. Or, Rev. Hoeksema is,Fimply  trying the future.
to. make a  ,,creed of his own.  (and  -our) view of the
covenant and baptism and that motive `is  evil.  or,                                                       Chinese Missioa~Aotivity.
they simply oppose mission work in Canada, afraid of                                                                          In connection with our article some time ago re-
having our churches grow lest their influence be lost,                                                     garding the continuation of Mission Activity in China
etc. Now some,.or all, or none of these things may be                                                      it may be well to point out some of the darker sides
true but my point is that tie must not over-simplify                                                       of this picture.  '
by. simply leaping to these conclusions and viewing all                                                                       From an article on `"The future of Missions in Red
things in their shadow without ,factual well-grou7.ded                                                     China" appearing in the "Moody Monthly" we glean
proof.                                                                                                     the following :
   On the other hand the dahger is no less great as                                                                           Since the Communist victory in 1949 there has
,far as those who are in favor of the declarations are                                                     been no new mission arrivals in China-. In fact they
coacerned., It is so simple. Rev. Petter and perhaps                                                       are not allowed to enter.                   Duking the  .past several
Rev.- Doezetia and Rev. Cammenga etc. and ai1 those                                                        years there has been a general exodus of mission work-
whb' do &t condemn them simply love Heynsiariism,                                                          ers from China and even now it is continuing at the
they are Arminian and are attempting  to  ,open our                                                        rate of 50 to 100 missionaries i month &lo are leaving
churches to all the errors. of 1924. The threat may                                                        the field, because their work has either, become impos-
be added that'then we are in duty bound to apologize                                                       sible or becavse their remainitig would work harm to
tq  the  C&qjstiaq  F+fo~n&~  Churqhgs  `for  $24,  The                                                    the Chinese Chr@ti+s. "I$ Jh& one-way  traffic con-
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 21'6                                     iTHE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 tinues, it will be only a E&t& of time until the P;ro-           services a week, now they have only one, and quite
 testant missionary body is reduced to a handful of               frequently even that meets with interference.
 veterans who intend to live and die in the land of their                 `I . . `. Still another obstacle to missionary work is
 adoption."                                                       the land and property tax now collected by the People's
         "It `is  dificult to  giv3 an accurate picture of the    Government. For the first time in a hundred years,
 over-all situationin a coumtry as large as China. Con-           church property  in China is subject to taxation. If
 ditions in Manchuria and North China are quite dif- these taxes were reasonable, no one would complaivi;
 ferent from those  in south and west China. .' In the but they are both unreasonable and exorbitant."
 whole of Manchu'ria for example, with a population                       Beautifully the article concludes with, "If and when
 as large as France, only three stations are still manned the door (in China-J.H.) is closed it will be closed
 by foreign personnel.                                            not by Mao Tie-tung, or Chow En-lai, or  Wu  Yao-
         `.`In Hopeh province the?e are dnly two missionaries     tsung, or any earthly power, but by the One Who said,
 outside of Peking and Tientsin. .                                "I am he that openeth, and no man shutteth ; and shut-
         "A similar situation exists in the province df Shan- teth, and no man  opkn&h."
 t&g, where .churches -were once numerous and .pros-                `.                                                               J. Howerzyl.
 perous. Apart from Tsinan and Tsirrgtao, where the&
 are some thirty-sixmissionaries, mostljr  in institutional
 work, there is only one -other  fo!reign missionary-a                                      CLASSIS EAST
 woman living in the small town of Pingyin.                                                                                           \
         "In Shansi there are `ten vissionaries  in three ten;    will meet in special session Wednesday, February 28,
 ters. In Honan there are oniy four missionaries, one at 9 :00 A.M. `This meeting will be a continuation  o?f
 man and three women, located in four different plases.           the January, meeting for the purpose of treating the
 Thus .fewer than. 10 percent of the mi'ssionaries  now           Declaration of Principles.
 bn the field are located in north China. So far a'11 at-                                                                      D. Jonker, (S.  c.) .
 ten$ts to `get back into ihe north have been blocked by                                         -:-  `.
 the abthorities.                                                                             ATTENTION  !.'
    The author then goes on to sum up the harrassment
 to which the missionary; in China is submitted: "No                                       CLASSI:ST WEST
 amount of window dressing can conceal the fact that .
 the  new regimk,  following the Marxist line, regards            meets in Hull, Iowa.' Wednesday, MarCh `7, .1951
 religion as the `opiate of the people'. Its leaders. con-                                   IN MEMORIAM
 sjder the church to be an "unhealthy organism' which
 will die of its own accord  whell outside  eupport  is            The Men's Society of the Protestant -Reformed  Church  of
 withdrawn. . . . Naturally they want to get rid of               South   Holland,   Ill.,  kiereby   express.es its sincere sympathy to
                                                            us
 as quickly as possible. How to achieve their purpose,            one of its members, Mr. John Hollemaa in the death of his son,
 and at the saine time save their face, is the. problem                                      W&am               Hollernan
 now confronting them.                                            `who passed away at the age of 25 years.
         `4. . . .One means they are uping is anti-foreign          May our' heavenly Father comfort the berea.ved  and may we
 propaganda. . . .Another   means  ,Cqmmunists   are.:us-. at all times put our trust in Him.                                                   ? -
 ing with telling effect is restriction of .travel. Ever                                                 Rev. M.  Sohipper,   Pres.
 since- `liberation', `that much abused word, missionaries                                               Gysbert A. Van Baren,  Sec'y.
 have not been permitted to travel except on rare oc-
 casions for `essential' business. Needless to say, preach-                                      -:-
 ing is not regarded as essential business. . . . Another                                     IN MEMORIAM ,                                            a
 factor is a new law calling for the separation of church           On December 6, 1950, it pleased the Lord bz~ take unto Him-
- and state. . . . Religion now must not be mixed up              self our `beloved father, and grandfather,
 with politics, education, social service, or daily life.                                  Mr. W.  Vantier  Woudie"  .'
 It must be strictly confined to the sacred .precincts of         a.t the age of 72 years.
 the church. In large, areas of China, principally in the           T&t he is now rejoicing in "the hoGse  not made with hands,
 north, churches are permitted to hold only one service           eternal in the heavens", .IS our comfort in this hour of sorrow.
 a week.            Weekday meetings are forbidden  on the
grounds that they `interfere with production.' . . . .The                                                Mrs. W. Vander Wonde
 big church in the city Which used to ,draw a regular                                                    Mr. and Mrs. John' `Faber
 congregation of 800 is only a shadow of -its former                                                     Mr. Peter Vander Woude
 self. Whereas we  used  to have more than twenty                                    I     `
                                                                                            .                   three grandchildren.


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