      VOLUME XXVII                                    April 15, 1951 - Grand Rapids, Michigan                                     NUMBER 14

                                                                                      We willen wat schrijven over de waardeering van
          MEDI~ATIOti.
              1                                                                - Jezus' werk, en dan eerst zien de blijde aanleiding tot
                                                                                   die waardeering; dan zullen we huiveren bij het zien
                                                                                   van het booze spotbeeld hetwelk door de  Farizeers
                                                                                   werd opg.ehangen van Jezus' werk ; en, eindelijk, zul-
        De Waardij `Van `Christus' Weik len we trachten om de ware' inhoud van dat werk te
                                                                                   benaderen.                .-
 .

                     "En Yezus  van daar voortgaande,  zag eenen mengsch
                   in  bet tolhuis  mitten,   genaamd   Mattheus,   &n  z&de
                   tot hem:  Voig  Mij. En  hij  epstaande,   volgde  Hem.            Eerst dan die blijde. aanleiding.
                   En  hot  geschiedde   als Hij in  bet  huis van  Mattheus
                   aanzat, zie, vele tollenaars  en zondaars kwamen en                Het gaat hier over de roeping van Matthetis tot het
                   zaten mede .aan, met Jezus en Z.ijne  discipelen. En            groote  ambt van Apostel des Lams. I      .
                   de FarizeiSrs  dat ziende, zeiden .tot Zijne discipelen:           Qorspronkelijk  was die Mattheiis,  of Levi, een tolle-    _
                   Waarom eet  uw  Meester met de tollenaren  )en  zon-           n a a r .                        . .
                   daren?  Maar Jezus  sulks  hoorende, zeide tot hen:                Tollenaren  waren zoowat het laagste  sqort men-
                   Die gezond zijn, hebben den  medicijnmeester  niet              schen. Zij  hadden  zich verhuurd  aan de gehate  Ro-
.-                 van  noode,   maar die- ziek zijn.  Doch gaat  henen en
                   leert  wat het zij: Ik  wil  barmhartigheid,.  en niet         meinen, de onderdrukkers van het volk Gods. En door
                   offerande: want Ik ben niet gekomen om te, roepen               de Romeinen gehuurd zijnde werden zij aan `t werk
                   rechtvaardigen, maar zondaars tot bekeering." '                gezet om de tol- en cijns te innen voor den keizer van .
                                                                                                      _`.
                                                          Matth. .9:9-13.         Rome.
         Een van de redenen waarom de Earizeers den Heere                          Dat doende  werden  zij  in-&n  adem  gknoemd met
      Jezus tegenstonden was wel, omdat Hij omging met                             de hoeren en zondaren. Zoodra een mensch zich over-
 tollenaren en zondaren. . Zoo ook in de geschiedenis                             gaf tot de klas van tollenaren werd zoo iemand direkt
      die in onzen tekst verhaald wordt.                                          uit de synagoge geworpen.
         Stelt h.et U voor, zoo klaagden de Farizeers: deze                         Men behoorde dan niet meer tot het oude  bonds-
 mensch eet met' tollenaren en zondaren !                      '                  volk. En men raakte zijn rechten` kwijt, zooals het
         Het was tech ongehoord!                                                  recht om een eed' te  doen voor de autoriteiten der .
         Als die vreemde Rabbi werkelijk een van God ge-                          Joden. En als een verbannene van het volk werd men
 zondene is, dan zou Hij  zich  tech wachten om zoo                               geschuwd als de pest.
 vreemd te  doen?  Dan zou Hij  tech  .veel liever om-.                               En zulk'een mensch werd door Jezus geroepen om
 gaan met ons ? Want wij. zijn tech het schoonste cieel                           Hem te' volgen ? Het was ongehoord.
 der natie ?                                                                          En let wel, hij werd niet alleen geroepen om een
                                                                                  schaapje vanJezus kudde te worden,  neen, maar hij
         Wat blindheid!                 i                                         zou een .Apostel,  wordenYvan het Lam. Later ZOLI er
        Wat vuile hoogmoed !                                                      ook van hem gezegd en geschreven  worden,  dat de
        En wat vreeselijke miskenning van het groote werk                         kerk gebouwd is op het fundament der Apostelen,
 dat Jezus op aarde deed!                       z                     `.          waarvan  De Heere Jezus de uiterste hoeksteen was.
        `0 ja, deze  Farizeers  hebben  we1 het werk van                              Apostel te zijn is het ontvangen van het hoogste
 Jezus gewaardeerd, maar hun waardeering raakte kant                              ambt der wereld. Er is niets hooger.
noch wal.                                                             ,F+             Een,Apostel zou het Licht der wereld volgen  ; hij
        Zij hadden het glad verkeerdi                                             ZOLI schrijver worden  van den Bijbel; en zijn naam zou


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3 1 4                                      T H E   `S T A N D A R D   BE.ARER
  r  ,
gegraveerd worden  in het fundament van het Nieuwe                      Het was de gewoonte om zulke groote feesten  waar-
Jeruzalem.                                                          toe velen genoodigd waren, te houden in groote binnen-
          Ik  denk hiet, dat  Matthetis  beseft heeft bij  `deze    plaatsen, waar de itafels gedekt werden in de open
roeping,  -d&t hij tot alle deze heerlijkheden gebracht             lucht. Dat kon in het.heilige  land, vanwege het zachte
ZOLI worden:  .`.Hij vo@deJezus  om de' eenvoudige reden,           oklimaat.                              i
dat hij  niet-  andersdden kon. Dit was een  kracht-                t En zoo kunnen we ons dit vreemcle, doch schoone
d a d i g e   ro$ng.  i;                                            schouwspel' eenigzins `indenken en voor onze aandacht
          Die. vreemde &bbi was bij zijn tolhuis gekomen,           brengen.
had tot -hem geze@l  :; Volg Mij ! En onmiddelijk was;                  Rij aan rij ,zaten de vrienden van deien Levi, en
hij  opgestaan en was Hem gevolgd.. Het kwam in                     daartusschen de Heere Jezus en Zijne discipelen die
zijn l&ofd niet op om'dit niet te doen.                             ook tot Edit feest genoodigd waren.
          Als God roept  met Zijn eigendommelijke roeping,              De Heere schaamde zich niet om in dit gezelschap
dan komt er onmiddelijk gehoor aan die roeping. Dat gevonden` te worden. Daar zit Hij ! In de open lucht.
kunt ge  bier' zien.                                                Een .ieder die voorbij kwam kon Hem zien.
    En  Mattheus was ook  diet  klagende en weenende                    Hkt schijnt alsof deze vreemde gebeurtenis van
gevolgd. Hij klaagde niet over het verlies van  zijn mond tot mond.gegaan was. Straks wist de geheele
we&, dat  goed betaalde. In `t geheel niet. Men                     stad..het:  een Rabbi zat  aan met tollenaren en  zon-
krijgt den indruk, dat hij Jezus gaarne molgde .                    daren.
          Daar komt nog bijj dat hij een groot feest bereidde        '  W a a r   ?
voor Jezus en Zijn apostelen. Hij zegt dat zelf niet                                        _
in zijn Evangelie.                                                      In het huis van Matthetis-Levi, die door dezen
          In` groote bescheidenheid ver.zwijgt hij ihet, maar       Rabbi geroepen is om hem te volgen. Levi gaat zijn ,
Lucas vermeldt het in zijn Evangelie, .waar hij deze                goed betalend ambt van tollenaren verlaten, en hij zal
roeping van Matthetis  ook beschrijft.                              van nu aan dezen Jezus volgen.
          Daar lezen we, dat hij een groot `feest maakte                En was ook ter-oore gekomen van de Farizei+rs en
voor Jezus. En nu weet gij allen, dat men geen groot                Schriftgeleerden.
feest `maakt ter gelegenheid van zulk -een radikale                  -- Het duurde niet lang en daar kwam de voorname
verandering van zaken, indien men zulks doet  uit                   stoet van Farizeers  aangeloopen. Langzaam, met defa
`dwang en niet gewilliglijk. .                                      tige stappen en op hetaangezicht  de verontwaardiging
          Neen,`maar  men maakt een feest als men groote-           die onmiddelijk bij hen opkwam bij het hooren van
lijks verblijd is. En zoo was het .ook met deze Mat-                zulk een verschrikkelijk optreden.
theiis-Levi. Hij- was inniglijk verblijd, dat deze Rabbi                En dit was dan het Licht der wereld? `Was Hij de
Jezus hem geroepen had.                                             Zoon was `God? Was Hij de Messias die komen zou?
   God had krachtdadiglijk  gewrocht in zijn diepste                En die- gaat ~66. behandelen?
hart, en hij was onmiddelijk een ander mensch ge_.                      `t Is  verschrikkelijk. Maar. we zullen deze zaak
worden. En hij wil het ook bewijzen in dit feest.                   onmiddelijk onderzoeken.
                                                                        En daar kdmen zij aan. En het duurde niet lang
                                                                    of zij zagen het met eigen oogen :. Jezus zat aan met
          En toen stond hij voor de vraag: maar wie zal ik          tollenaren en zondaren !
nu nooden tot dit `mijn groote feest? Al mijn beken-.                   `t Was ongehoord !
den en vrienden zijn tollenaren en zondaren. De an-                     En ook te veroordeelen. Wat `meet  er terecht'ko-
dere menschen wilden niets met bij te  doen hebben,;. men van alle,goede  zeden, als een mensch die zich uit-
en dat vanwege mijn verachte beroep. Wat zal  .ik                   geeft een Rabbi, te zij,n, met zulk gebroed omgaat, die
doen?                                                               zich verlaagt om met het ofschrapsel der. natie te &en
          En toen heeft hij besloten om dan maar eenvou'dige .en te drinken?
die tollenaren ,en zondaren te roepen tot dit feest. Er
bleef geen andere uitweg open.
          En ik denk dat hij -bij; zichzelf instinctmatig ge-           Neen, zij waren niet genoodigd tot dit feest. Eerst
voeld heeft, dat Jezus het verstaan zou. En zoo ge-                 niet, omdat Levi hen niet durfde inviteeren. En, twee-
schiedde het.                                                       dens,  in&en zij al gevraagd werden; zoo zouden zij
          De Heere Jezus ontving de invitatie tot dit groote `de  invitatie  tech niet aangenomen hebben. Levi had
feest waar vele tollenaren en zondaren genoodigd wa-                gelegenheid te over gehad in zijn beroep ,als tollenaar '
ren, en de Heere Jezus nam de uitnoodiging aan!                     om het karakter der Farize&n te kennen.
          En dit zal de aanleiding, de blijde aanleiding zijn           Maar luistert  !
tot de waardeering van Christus' werk op aarde.              a          De deftige stoet  der  Farizeers  die  stilhield voor

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     bet huis van `Levi, hadden zich gewend tot Jezus' dis'-                 zij waren geroepen om die schapen tiet groote liefde
     cipelen.                                                                te hoeden en te weiden.
         Zij konden z&h niet  stilhouden. En zij vroegen:                       En zij miskenden Jezus, de groote Herder der
     Waarom eet Uw Meester met de tollenaren en zon-                         schapen. Bij iniplicatie  hadden zij Hem  uitgeschol-
     daren ?                                                                 den voor tollenaar en zondaar : waarom eet Uw Mester
         Daar zit veel. en  veleklei  in die  vraag. Leest er                met tollenaren en zondaren?
     tech niet  ovei  heen. Hunne bedoeling met deze vraag                      En  zij' miskenden God ook. Want God had in
     is duidelijk. Zij  wilden,  er mee zeggen: Uw  meester                  Mozes en- de Profeten duidclijk geopenbaard, dat Hij
     is geen haar beter dan dit, vuile `gezelschap. Zoo als                  een otitf,ermend  God was voor de, schapen die Hij zou
     wij vaaX zeggen met, een spreekwoord: Soort zoekt                       willen trekken en leiden tot de groote qqhaapskooi. En
     soort. Uw meester geeft zich vaak groote en schoone                     zij hadden dit kunnen weten.                   .
     benamingen. `Maar Hij handelt er niet naar. En hier                        Maar daar treedt Jezus op hen toe. Hij zal hun                           1
     hebt ge het bewijs. .Hij eet met het schuim der natie.                  van antwoord dienen en bestraffen !"                            .
     Hij gaat om het hkn die wij uitwerpen uit de syna-                         Laat ons luisteren naar de gouden woorden  van
     goge.                                      \                            den  Zoon van God!                                  ,'
         En' wat wil dat zeggen? Dit:  w1j  acht&  dat hij                      "Die gezond tii-jn, hebben den medicijnmekster  niet
     vanchetzelfde allooi is: sooi-t zdekt soort. Uw meester                 van noode, maar die ziek zijn !"
' is ook een  misdadiger.           Hij behoort, en Hij  ,schijnt             Dit was een spreekwoord uit hun eigen bundel van
     zich goed thuis' te gevoelen bij vuile zondaren !                  .    overleveringen. "Ze waren we1 bekend met dit spreek-
         Ziedaar het spptbeeld  van Jezus' werk op aarde!                    wookd,  maar vandaag zat er een angel in die hem zou
         Ep let wel, deze waardeering van Jezus' werk is                     scheuren.
     vrucht van hun blinde haat en wrevel.                 '                 ' Wat is `de'beteekenis? Dit: Gij zijt immers de lei-
        `En  w& is de grondfout dier  Farizegrs? Dit: zij                    ders, de medicijnmeesters van Israel? Welnu, gij
     maten Jezus bij hun eigq booze maatstaven. En wat                       noemt deze arme tollenaren en zondar&nxziek,.,zoo  ziek,
     mogen die maatstaven der  Faiizegrs  geweest   zijn?.                   dat gij hen schuwt. Welnu, vervul Uw ambt!. En
     Zij waren deze :' Wij, Fakizegrs,  Schriftgeleerden, `Over-             indien gij niet wilt, laat Mij met'rust: Ik ben de groote
     priesters en Wetgeleerden, wij zijn het nobelste en het                 Medicijnmeester, en  Ik'ben Mijn  w,erk   aan `t  doen.
     eel&e  deel .der .natie. En onze schoonheid en adel be-                 Laat Mij met rust  !-
     staat hierin, dat wij de Wet van God vervullen.                            Maar er zat rnefx in dit spreiekwoord.                 Gij zijt ge-
         Daarin bestaat onze  heerlijke   ierechtigheid. Wij                 zond, naar Uw eigen getuigenis. En daarom  laat Ik
     zijn beter dan wie dan ook. En om te gaan met het                       U, met  rust. Alleen die  ziek' zijn hebben Mij van
     lage en domme volk is zonde. Het volk, dat de Wet                       noode.
     niet kent is verbloekt. `En wij Jaten dns daarom met                       En nu komt er nog een woord uit het Oude Testa-
     zondaren niet in. Wijkt to& van ens;. want wij zijn                     n&$nt, Hosea 6 :6. Maar. gaa$ henen`en leert wat het
     v-eel heiliger dan gij !                                                zij : Ik til barmhartigheid, en niet offerande; want .Ik
         Maar Uw mee'ster heeft vtindaag`.bewezen,  hetieen                  ben niet gekomen om te roepen  rechtvaardigen,. maar.
     wij allang geweten hebben: Hij is niet beter dan dat                    zondaars tot bekeering.
     schuim, `dat ruwe, goddelooze, onheilige volk!                             Deze woorden van Jezus hebben gebrand op de  har-
                                                                             ten  van deze  Farizeers., Gaat  henen en leert!  Dat
                            -,-r/3                         -
.                                                                            wild,e  zeggen:  ,Gij noemt U  leeraars in Israel, maar
         Maar de Heere had het gehoord. Maar de Heere                        gij hebt  van  noode om zelf onderwezen te  worden.                                        '
had hen  aan zien komen. En de Heere  k&de ook                               Tweedens, Ik zal U toestemmen, dat ,deze zondaren en
     hunne  harten. Hij wist, dat  hunne  harten vol van                     tolle;aren  ziek, doodziek `zijn.              _
     onheiligheid'waren.         En Hij wist dat al hun wetsver-                Nti dan; en dan zegt Mijn God : Ik wil barmhartig-
     vulling enkel ijdelheid was. I Zij onderhielden we1 de                  heid." Ik wil Mijn hart van groote  zondaarsliefde  open-
     wet, maar het was slechts  uitwendig werk. Hun h`art baren. En daarom ben Ik bier. om Mijn werk te doen.
hield  zich `verre van God en  goddelijke  deugden;                          Laat Mij, tech .met rust!
         Wat een miskenning !              *                    "  \         Maar  `Gij  Farize&rs wilt altijd  de offerande! Gij
         Zij miskenden Israel. Deze zondaren en tollenaren                   wilt groote  dingen  doen voor God. Zoodat `God U                                .
     waren Israel; En Israel was. een yolk, dat genoemd                      mag danken voor zqo schoone ,en groote daden. Maar
     mag  worden  de  zonejn en `de  dochteren   van.  God: Zij              God wil geen offerande. Hij wil barmhartigheid.
     waren de  &hapen   die de leiders  moe;sten  weiden en                     ,O. God, wij danken IT voor Uwe groote. zondaars-                                  -
     `hoeden.                                                                liefde in Jezus!
        Zij niiskenden` z'iehzelf, Zij  waren de-herders  en                                                           n               G .   V o s .

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3       1            6                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER-

                             The Standard Bearer
             Semi-Monthiy, except Monthly in July and August'                                                                                E D I T O R I A L S
                                     P u b l i s h e d   Bji
                          The Reformed  .Free  Publishing Association
                            Box 124, Sta. C., Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                                                    The Declaration Of Principles
                               EDITOR:  - Rev. H. Hoeksema. .
     Communications relative to contents should be  adc@essed  to                                                                     The discussion of the main contents of the Declara-
REV. H. HOEKSEMA, 1139 Franklin .St., S. E., Grand Rapids,                                                               tion of Prindiples was finished in my last editorial on
Michigan.                                                                                                                the subject. What follows is chiefly in the form of
     Communications relative to subscription should be addressed                                                         conclusions that are based on the *preceding part of the
to Mr. J.  BOUWMAN,  1350 Giddings  SE.,  Gratid Rapids `7,
Mich.  Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the                                                                Declaration: For the sake of  complet.eness  I publish
above address  an4  will be  published  at a fee of $1.00 for each                                                       it here once more.
notice.                                                                                                                               The Declaration concludes as follows ;
Renewals:-Unle'ss a definite request for discontinuance is re-  '                                                                .
ceived,  it is assumed that the subscriber wishes his subscription                                                                    "III. Seeing then that this iS the clear teaching of
to continuk without the formality of a renewal order.                                                                    the confession, P
                                     Price: $3.00 per year                                                                            "k. We repudiate :
Entered as Second Class Mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan:                                                                               "1. The teaching:                -
                                                                                                                                      "a. That the promise of the covenant is conditional
                                                                                                                         and for all that are baptized.
                                                                                                                                      "b. That we may presuppose that all the children
                                                                                                                         that are baptized are regenerated, for we know on the
                                                                                                                         basis of Scripture, as well as.in the light of all history
                                                                                                                         and experience, that the contrary is true.
                                      C O N T E N T S                                                                                 "2. The teaching that the, promise of the covenant
MEDITATION-                                                                                                              is an objective bequest on the part of God giving to
       . . De Waardij Van Christus' Werk i ___.__._____________......  _ _.........._ 313                                every baptized child the' right to Christ and all the
                     Rev:   G .   V o s
.(.                                                                                                                      blessings of salvation."
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                                           Here I may, perhaps, add a worcl. of explanation
           The Declaration ,Of .J?rinciples  1: ______: _______..._________.......~..~~....  316                         to A, 1, b.
           Classis West's Overture To Synod _________.__.  u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,318                             The emphasis in this proposition must fall on the
                     Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                             I                      word  ai'l.  We would have no principal objection to
                                                                                                                         maintain that the elect infants are regenerated, al-
O U R   D O C T R I N E -   ,                                                                                            though we cannot havB certainty in this respect. We
           Days Or Periods ______________ ~____________________.................~  _________
                                                                                                        _ _..._   321
                     R e v .   H .   V e l d m a n                                                                       b$ipve, in fact, that this is usually the case. But the
                                                                                                                         presumpti.on  ,that :a11 baptized children are regenerated
           What Then ? ~____________________.........~.~...............  :.______:  ___________._..  325                 is certainly untenable. It is quite contrary to the .ex-
                Rev. J. A. Heys                                                                                          pressed teaching of Scripture that only the children
           ContribzTtion .__.________________..................~  _.._.___.____________________:  .._____ 3;s            of the promise are counted for the seed, and all are
                Mr. Geo. Ten  Elshof,                                                                                    not Israel that are of Israel. It is contrary to all the
           I n g e z o n d e n                                                                           329             history of the covenant, which illustr&es  v?ry plainly
                J. R. Vander Wal                                                                                         that thousands uljon thousands, in the old dispelisation
                                            .                                                                            as well as in the new, violate the covenant of God and
FROM HOLY  WRIT-                                      '
           Exposition of I Cor. 15:25 . .._.__________________  :.... . . . . . . . . ..__............  330              do not become partakers of the promise. And, there-
                Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                                             -.                      fore, we certa&ly cannot presuppose anything that is
                                                                                                 . .                     so evidently in coliflict -with Scripture and experience.
IN HIS FEAR-                                                                                                                3 The rest of the above conclusions have been suf-.
           Church Membership rn His Fear ___....._.__.____________:  __....__._.._. 332
               Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                              p                                                        ficiently demonstrated from our Confessions.
             .  i                                                                                                                     The Declaration continues:
           Technically  Corre'ct, Yet Irregular ? .. . . . . . . . . . _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
                     Rev. H. 9. Hoeksema -                                                                                            "B. And we maintain.:
                                                                                                                                      "1. That God surel$ and inf&llibly fulfills His pro-
PERISCOFE-
           Church Membership in the U.S.A. ____.___________..._ _ _____: ._______.  334                                  mise to the elect.
             Rev. J. Howerzyl                                                                                                         "2. That when He so fulfills His promise and estab-
                                                                                                                         lishes His covenant, the elect are not mere stocks and


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             I
                                                    TH.E-.STAND,ARD                                           BEA,RER .              ..-               317
                                   I  ._-_  ..-  ._.  ._.  ^ ____  ._~
. blocks, but ob;lig& and willing to fulfiil their part 0%                                 solid rejoicing in God: so that the consideration of
 the covehant, to love the I..ord their God with all their this benefit should serve as an incentive to the serious
 heart and mind .and soul and strength, to forsake the                                    and c&&ant practice in gratitude and, good works, as
 world, to crucify their o!d- nature, and to walk -in a                                   appears from the testimonies of Scripture, and the
 new and holy life.                                                                       example of the saints."                            N
     "3. That the ground of infant baptism is the com-                                               Again, in Canons V, A, Ii:             '     -          .
 mand of God, and the fact that according to Scripture                                               Neither does renewed  cdnfidence  of persevering
 He establi&hes  His covenant in the, line- qf continued                                  produce licentious,ness,  6r a disregard to piety in ttiose
 gei-&rBti811S,`?                                                                         @ho are recovered from backsliding; bdt. it renders
     In 2 above the Declaration reftitee  the &Xii&ion,                                   them much more careful and solicitidus to continue in
 always directed against those' tiho maintain the t&b                                     the ways .of` the Lord, whitih *he hath ordained, lest by
 of sovereign: grace  and absolute predestination, that                                   abusing his. fatherly kindness, God should. turn away
 the iatter deny the responsibility of man.' If the prom-                                 his gracidus countenance from. them, to behold -which
 ise of God is unconditional, so that man has to do noth-                                 is to the godly dearer. than  life : the withdrawing
 ing in order to obtain the prdniise;  nor has to comply whereof is `tiore.bitter  than death, and they in con-
 with an$ prerequisite in order to remain heir of the                                     se;Juence  hereof should fall into more  gri,cvous  tor-
 bromise,  you make of man, so' say our opponents, mere ments df conscience."
 ~t~&s and block& They fol"get  that the `%vork  sf~~gr%~                                            And, in. Canons V, I$ 6, they repudiate  the_ errors
 n@;ber  violates, man's  mbral nature. Grace does not                                    of those :                     . .                                . . . .
 destroy man's responsibilitji, .b@ rather causes. him to                                            "Who teach.: that t&e doctrine of the certainty of
 feel all the more deeply his responsibility b&%%z the                                    perseverance and of s&lvation from its oW*n character
 God of His salvation.                                                                    aild &attire is a cause.-of indolence and is injurious, to
     This is the teaching of our Confessic&. li. ..'                                     -godliness, good morals, prayers, and other, ho& exer-
    The  Heidelberg   Catechis?&  teaches  u&in  cuestion                                 cises,  bet  &at on the contrary it is  praisew.ofthy`to
 and answer 64 as follows: "But does not this doctrine                                    doubt. For these show that they do not know  $he
 make men careless and profane? By no means: for                                          power of divine grace and &he working of .the indwell-
 ,it is impossible that those  ,who,  ai,e  impla&ed into                                 itig Spirit. And they contradict the apostle John, who
 Christ by a true faith, ,should not bring forth fruit of                                 teaihes  t&e opposite with express -words in his first
 t h a n k f u l n e s s . "  '                                    ""                     epistle : `Beloved now are we ihe children of God, and
     In Canons 111, IV, A,-we read : '                                             .-     it is  not yet made  manif.est  what we  .shall be. We
     "i%t as man by the fall did not cease to be a ire&-                                  know that, if he &hall be manifested, we. shall be like
 ture, kndowed  with understanding. and will, nor did                                     hiti, for we shall see him :even  as he is. And everyone
 sin' which pervaded  the whole .race of mankind, de-                                     that hath this hope on him, purifieth himself, even as
 ,prive him of the humari nature,` &t brought upon him he is pure.' I  JohPn  2:2, 3. Furthermore these are
depravity and  spiritu.al  .death  ; so also this grace of                                contradicted by th@ examples of the -saints, both of
 regeneration does not treat meh as senseless stocks                                      the old and of the New Testament, who' though they
 and blocks, nor  take away their will and its properties,                                were assured of their l$&everance  and salvation, were
 neither does violence thereto ; but spiritually quickens,                                nevertheless constant in prayers and other exercises
 heals, corrects, and at the same time sweetly and                                        of godliness."                        .
 powerfully bends it; tha't where carnal rebellion and                                               Al,1 these passages plainly- teach that, while grace
 resistance formerly prevailed, a ready and sincere                                       is  sureljr sovereign and unconditional, this -sovereign
 spi;itual obedience begins to `reign ; in which the true                                 grack does not destroy, but ,rather increase and en-
 and spiritual restoration and freedom..of  our will coti-                                hance man's responsibility. ..
 sist. Wherefore unless the admirable author of every                                                The Declaration continues :
 good work' wrought in' us,, man could have `no hope of                                   .          "I!. Besides, the Protestant Reformed Churches :
 recovering from his fall by his own free will, by the                                              ."A. Cannot condone  the- action of the Reformed
 abuse `of which, in. a state of innocence, he plunged                                    Churches of  the Netherlands, whereby:  -  -                 .
 himself intd ruin;"                       - .                                                 8     "1. They imposed certain doctrinal decisions upon
     Again;in Canons V, A, 12 we confess:                                 '  ..          ' the churche-s  synodically, making tliese decisions bind-
     "This certainty of perseverance, however, is so far                                  ing upon  th? churches  before  th,ey had the right to
 `from exciting on believers 3 spirit of pride, or render-                                protest.
 i$g them carnally secure,  that on the contrary, it iS                                             "2. And `whereby  they deposed many local  office-
 i&e r.eal source <of humility, ,filial reverence, true piety,                            bearers.
 patience in every tribulation, fervent prayers,  coti-                                              "B. And they believe and maintain the autonomy
 &ancy in sufferin& `and in confessing the truth, and                                                                                                                  ~.
                                                                                          o f   t h e   local  c h u r c h . "'



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            318                                            THE..STAN~ARD  B E A R E R

                   This applies to the Christian Reformeh Church in                                  Remember  tliat the Declaration is-nothing else than
            our country as well as to the Reforme$ Churches of                                   a form  to. be  tis+ by our mission committee and
            the Neth.erlands. Also the Christian Reformed Church                                 our. missionaries as a .basi% for the. organization of
       in 1924  made. their  doctr'inal  decisions binding, and                                  churches.                                      8
            demanded of us a promiseYto  `express agreement with                                     if' our next  `synod  should dare to reject  .it, I  see
            these decisions, or at least to acquiesce in them and                                no longer any hope- for the future of our Protestant
            never to &each anything against them. This .tie would                                Reformed`: Churches  as remaining  distinctivtily Re-
            not ,possibly  promise for `the simple reason that the                               formed.  '  ".  '
            well-known -three points we?e, according. to our deep-                                   Hence,  "`with' malice toward none," I shall fight
            est conviction contrary, tb Scripture and the `Confes-                               fos it.                  '
            sion.. Under such a promise, it would have been im-                                                         :..                                  H .   H .
                                                                                                                                           I
            possible for us to preach. Besides, also the Christian
      Reformed Church, in  1924, violated the principle of s                                                                         a-h                                  \
                                                                                                                                                                     -
            the autonomy of the local church `by deposing .officeA
            bearers, as well as speaking of the broader gatherings                                Classis West's` Overture To Syri~d
            as `"the proper ecclesiastical &thorities". The Pro-
            testant Reformed Churches maintain the autonomy df
            the local church and atiknowledge  no,higher authority ,_, We hereby present to ius readers the. overture in ye
            thati tl% consistory. It is' a well-known  fact that also the ?,eclal*.atioti  which Classis West decided to send to
                                                                                                 synod.
            the Reformed `Ghurches of the Netherlands violated
            this principle.                                                                          The oGert&e  was presented to Classis West ,by the
             And although we quite  fundanientally  differ with                                  co&story  of Bellflower.
      the Reformed `Churches, maintaining Art. 31, of  th@. .                                        The part that is placed in parenthesis was elimin-
      : Netherlands, in respect to  th.e question . concerning                                   ated by way,of an amendment. However,, because its
            the protiise of the covenant, we are glad to agree with                              very ,elimination  is significant, we here insert it.
            them on the important `church-political principl? of                                                                           4  8,  *
      .' the autonomy of the local church.                            ,              _'
       :           `Thus far the $clarat?on of principles proper. 9                              Esteemed brethren : .`;
                   There is; however, i postscript, which:. reads `as                               We. have received the declaration of  principltis
            f o l l o w s   :                                                                    which were dra.wll  up by our' last Synod an< submiited
                   "If Synod adopts the above proposition, we advise:                            to ogr consistories to be approved by our 1951 Synod
                                                                                                 if no objections are given.
                   f`l. That Synod subject this entire document to tie                               We understand that we ark to study the declaration
            approval of the churches.                                                            and express our approval of the contents of the ddcu-
                   "2. If no.objection  is offered %o adopt this at our ment  or. disapproval by submitting well motivated
            next Synod. .  `-                                                                    reasons. We do not understand our Synod to mean to
              "3.  To adopt this in  the meantime  -as a' working                                decide to approve in `1951 by the majority vote pf-our
            hypothesis for our mission committee and for our- mis-                               churches alone.- Such would  ndt do justice to  thhp
            sionariesin  t h e   orga&atio!i   o f   c h u r c h e s . " .                       cause of the truth. In a sense the matter has been
                                                                                                 decided-by our .last Syndd,  and the :Synod of 1951 will
                                                                                `
                                                                                ,                take the final decision  upOn  Jconsideration   ~of  %he
                   And herewith I ilose my discussion of the Declara- .reasons advanced .by the: churches.. Any valid objec-
            t i o n   o f   P r i n c i p l e s .                                                tion or weighty, reason advanced for approval shbuld
                   The reader cannot have doubted that I favor the                               decide the  .issue regardless of the  opinionB  of the
      adoption  of- this Declaration by our next synod. All                                      majority of-the churches.  :
~_  ~ the dust that has -been raised about it has only served                                        Although we agree with  -the essential thrust of
 *          to convince me more deeply that it is high time that                                 these declarations, we feel that they are in a measure
            our churches adopt'it as tin expression to all that want                             in'adequate' to the .p&sent  day ::discussion upon the
  : to join our churches of what we h&e:always  believed                                         matters referred. to in  .the interpretative se&ion  of
            and stili believe to be the t?uth according to our con-                              the declaration. We haveV,ilT mind, for example, the
            fessions.              :                       :               _                     statement th$ the promise  of .the Gospel" is not for all.
                                                                                                            .;'
            It contains nothing  n&w.  `.                        1                               To enlighten, sucha &&em&&Ghould  explain that thp
                   It-me?eiy. and simply represents what we have al- ,,Gospei..of  the promise of the .Gospel is to be preached
            ways believed.                                                                       to all-`and ihat all who have heard, it are held account-
              No one among us has $ucceded  to show, with any able for having heard. it. There is also the st&tement
            semblance                                                                                                                -.
                           of ati argument, .that `this is .pot~ the case.                       ui$er II, B, .l, ."Little  +$x surely'cannot fulfill any
                                                                                                                   .           <_
                                                     \      "                                                                              ,           /        1
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                       .d                         T H E   `- S T A N D A R D   `BEARER-                                                  319

      conditions, and if the promise of God is for them, the no longer with us. It is incumbent upon the immi-
      promise is infallible and  unconditiorial".  In a sense                     grants and any one who seeks to have correspondence
      this may `be interpreted- tq mean that there' are ,con- .with us that they make a decision about us, about our
      ditions,  but since infants cannot fulfill. them  t$ese                     confession @icially recognized not only, but also about
      conditions do not determine their inclusion or' exclu- .&he proclamation -and life- iwith respect to oui confes- .,
      -sion from the  covena& and  pfomise of God,  or-Zthat                      sion. Upon having` made such a' decision to .b>come
the pr.pmise in.& essential character is. unconditional.                          a Protestant Reformed Church such a group by virtue
      Such  .is true of the  Bible also. Infants cannot read                      of that-very act agrees with our proclamation and life
      the Bible, nor have they that `conscious knowledge of
                                                              . . i               as. in harmony with God's Word and the Confessions.
      salvation, yet no one would draw the conclusion that
                                                       :^.                        If their action has not been honest or has been made
      the Bible is no;t the written Word of God which is the                      without proper deliberation and examination, the sub-
      means for us to cqme to the conscibus saving knowl-                         sequent relationship will bear it out and we then are
      edge of_ the truth of God in Christ . . . &at God does                      fac,e,d with the task of determining,whether the pro-
      not use &his means $0 bring us to' the knowledge of                         clamation of such a group is in harmony with us, not
      salvation.                                                                  before. `If it should occur that a group after organiza-
          This point. thkrefore,  althoug< true if interpreted                    tion disagrees with our proclamation, of the truth,
      correctly, does not serve to clsrify the discussions that                   we are cautioned to make our missionary *preparatory
      have been confusing  issue's. It does not take into                         work more.tho,rough  by more specific examination of
      consider$tiqn. the cotiditions in the Bible anh the cor-                    the candidates for admission about their. confession
      rect interpretation of this conditional. f orm as" it Serves                and their desire for  instrtiction. To throw up  added-
      to bring out the essential unconditional nature of God's. fortiulas for interpretatiori  confuses. and weakens our
      words.                                                                      s t a n d .        _ :
         This is not derogatory `criticism.                   j             ..        c. The Mission Gomniittee  and missionaries .indi-
#'       `This follows inevitably ,fro& the procedure that                        cate that they tiere .able to instruct in our specific Pro-
      SFod took in the formulation of such a document.
                ._.                                                               testant Reformed proclamation. That is their calling
         Upon  consideririg  the action itself, therefore, as                     and our Churches place confidence in them and sup-
      it is given in the Acts, page 90, Article 117, we haye                      port them with supervision until their work is .chal-
      decided to pretest. We protest that Synqd accepted                          lenged.
      the document of the committee of pre-advice,' or even                        d. For purposes of clarification of our point, let us
      instructed its committee to draw up any such doe!-                          assume that the- missionaries came `in co&et with
ment which is  an interpretation of the  Conf&sions,                              those who have problems which have never been met
      wii$out having the pr&pe? occasion for such action,                         by them before. .(This assumption we do not actually
      the ,proper  instruct& to `do so.           .                               make. Fey we all maintain that we have `a definite
         The  f o l l o w i n g   a r e   air  r e a s o n s :         :          proclamation !ori the issues of the- day; for if we do
                                                              .                   not, our *mission ceases).
          1. The Mission Committee should not h&e come                               Such matters about `questions of iiterpretation  of
      with the question that they did. present. Jf they did the Confessions or of certain passages of the Word of
      come with such .a request they should have been. re-                        God lies outside of the r.ange  of the missiona_ries atid
      ferred to the same basis that we have used.pr$viously                       mission committee as such. Personally they may have
      and the basis .which is still the'basis for the unity of                    seridus doubts, but these mu,& be presented to theo-
      all our churches.                     ._         '  c                       logians or if no satisfaction is obtained under the p?e-
          a. iThe Mission Committee requested something                           sent -aid .of the Confessions, these questions must then
      uniform and definite to present to these groups' of                         be submitted to the  churches in the  proper'.$&esi--
      immigrants, particularly when they request organiza-                        astical way. If they do so as Mission Conimittee and.
 e tion. Tha$.- refers, evidently to.- the question statedj                       missionaries they make.  a fatal error of admitting that
      what is binding. in our churches? Art. 63, page 54.                         they are not' clear  -in their  m%ission.
         b. If we be&r "iii:mind  what is the real situation in                       2. In the secotid' pla$ it follows that Synod should
      doing mission  d&k, we shall avoid such  tiisunder-                         not have' answered the `Mission Committee 5s it .did.
      ,standing.  In doing mission work, or organizing groups It should not have allowed itself to become involved in
      of immigrants into Protestant Reforme&  Churches, we the questions without the proper. preparation' and oc-
      do.not  decide anew what i&our confession, or whether                       casion, nor have drawn up such a dbcument,  but should
      we are the purest  manifestatioti  of. the Reformed                         have very clearly pointed ..the Committee to its task
      church .in America. That -lies in the very .natpre of                       tb proclaim  our truth' &&quivocal.ly.  It may have
      our taking up, the work amorig  ..any group5 that we `cautioned.not  to condemn views of others if not called
      have such a conviction. The._burden of proof remains                        upon to do so uilder'our Confessions, or Views which
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        320                                               ,.THE  kTAiDARD   B E A R E R                                           i
                                       -
        are compatible with ours, in order to keep our positive                 this  tfuth is contracted into a brief statement and
      - teaching clearly before the minds of the hearers.                       expressed by the church.
         : a., If w.e understand &he task of the Mission Com-                   b.  We ought also to  agree that this  hold+ true for
        mittee, we shall also see that it cannot request a gin-                 any-interpretation df the confessions. (That waS the
,  ' era1 interpretation. and Synod cannot accede to such a                     history of the Reformed Churches. That is also the
       1 request. The Mission Committee is- under Synod and history of our hepitage in the past in this `country as
        cannot  inst'iuct or mandate Synod. Synod  may only it lies in the Christian Reformed `ChuGch. There are
        receive instructions and mandates' from the Churches                    examples  .df the Bultenia case, the Jansen case, and
      . by way of Consistory and Classis.                                       our own base. There was first of all error or protest
               b. To allow the Mission Committee to request an                  of error and this was presented by way of consistory
        interpretation of the Confessions and Synod to draw                     and  Classis to Synod.           Thereupon Synod made its
        up such a document is equal-to saying that Synod may interpretation of Scripture and the Confessions rele-
        initiate such matters.                                                  vant to the specific denial of the truth as presented
               If we allow the Mission Committee the right to do                to it'.)         Confessiotis are not made to prevent error.
        this and Synod to comply with. their -request and thus                  Conf essioris combat, e&or.          `.
        approve of the action of Synod of i950 in this r&pee&                       It is -important to r.ealize  that Confessiohs  do not
        we have opened `another way than the correct Re-                        prevent error.          The real  c`onfession  *of the truth is
        formed- way, and we have a back door, through which                     made bjr the organism of the Church and where  ' the
        we shall be flooded with.. all kinds of requests and                    Truth of the Word is most purely preached there you
       -,dangers  of wrong interpr&ations.                                 _    also have tihe m&t bitter struggle.-against it. `When
               This would,b& equal `to allowing the Committees of               err& presents itself in the. open it is repudiated of&-
        Synod to present material which, although tk;e concern                  ially by the  Synod'by way of appeal as a corrective
        of the Churches in general, is nevertheless outside of                  measure.           This  again. becomes the directive of the
        their jurisdiction to request or mandate. .The. faculty                 future church as it seeks to live cl&e to the-truth.
        may then do the same  an+ through the  th`eological
        school committee come with propositions for  instruc-                       c. We believe that this~has not been the case with
tions in their particular. views..                                    _         this declaration of principles. It has -pot first pre-
                                                                                sented an error to. repudiate. The Mission Committee
               This,  howevkr, is contrary to  th6 specific task of             asks on!y a general request, in effed,.`what  is binding
        .these' committees as given them in their constitutions                 in our churches. Besides it carinot co&e with a specific
        and it denies  tl'ie proper procedure of all such inter-                Gharge  for such is o@side of its jurisdiction.
 . _ pretation of the Confessions, which is out of the bosom
        of the. Church.                       .._                                   Such- z&ion which does not de61 with a specific
                                                                                charge  of error may make rash and `unnecessary st'ate-
               c. -We .may add t,hat this action of Synod also vio-             ments,  and be  the  c&use of' .-wrong division in the
        lates.the intentioii  of Art. 4 :2 "df thk rulesiof Order               chuych. . The truth as it lives in `the consciousness of-
        of `Synod (Church Order, p. 55) :'                                      the organism of th6 church should& be allowed to pre-
               3. In the third place,' looking at this action to inter-         yail over the lie. ,`Through proper debate and discus-
        pr$ Confessions as such, -tie b&eve that Synod forgot                   sion there is time and room for shepherd work to win
        that ally interpretation of the Confessions tvhich be-                  souls  and"minds to the  truth. To have committees
        comes.  the official  statem&t of the  Church$s  should                 and synods initiate propositions about our confessions,
        have a specific occasioti and, statement of the pioblem                 even though true, is nothing but unwise action which
        or error which it seeks -to combat, clkarly before its                  causbs divisions where they should not be, instead of
       mindland  stated  `in definite language for the churches.                where .they should be between the truth and the lie
               4. It also follows that this. specific statement of              not only`but also b,etween those who belong together
        errok  can. only be presented by way of protest or re-                  and thqs,e  &@ do not.
        quest from the churches.`                    :           .                  5.  IOur fifth  .objection  is against the  Sydod's sub-
               a. Consider that we 911 agree ihat we do not make mitting this document .for the. approval of the- church-
        a cqnfessioti beyond the Word of God and what we al-                    es. The-first wrong action of initiating something
        ready have in our Confessioils..unless  there'is a specific             outside of: a proper sequest and mandate resulted we
        occasion- of attack. Confessions must be based upon                     feel in $his regrettable situation..        ;.
 ,      the Word of. God and serve as a means of instruction                     We have the p:culiar situatio6 in which the Synod
        as w'ell as to combat error. -. They' arise organically                 submits for-.consid$ration  and advice something to the
        in th.e consciousness of the Church, and arise under                    cliurches.          This  reverses the proper procedure in
        various influences of attack, persecution, and- other                   which consistories and classes ifistruct or seek ,advice
      such denials of the truth. When the  truth' is  ri,pe,                    of Synod and se_nd. delegates to take part in discussion
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                                              \          T H E   SCiANDARD   B E A R E R                                                                 321  `.

 and bind themseiires  tb these decisions unless proven
 contrary to the Word of <God..
           If it,was the int&ntion of the 1950 Svnod td submit                      .'      O         U        R                  DdCT&IN~  '
 for approval, we  al& have. a  peculiai situation in  ^.
 which the chvrches  &lividdally and separately (demo-                              '
 cratically)  decide  ,outside of the. accepted?. way of                                             Days or  Peribda  `.  .,
 Synod's deliberationi                        ,                                                                `-2.               -           ;          `
6.  Finaiiy, we  wish. to protest  `againsti   point IV
 of the %rief Dec&%tion, par$icularly poi$ A;                                                    T H E         CbNCORDISTIC   THEoRV  "
           Altlidugh it is  ogr  comn~on  opinion that there is
 error  in the tactiofis of the-Refornied Churches of the -                               We concluded our preceding article with the state-
 ~&h&kids with respzct  to the recent deposition of                                ment that Dr. Bavinck declares that also that exegesis
 &ii&%,  BeveYthei&ss ,we question the right of  -our                              of `Genesis 1 is possible which regards thk six days as
 8~1i&l  to sit  in `judgment over  another  chhrdh  ,with                         periods. Mind you, he does not i;ay that this exegesis
 vhom  tye, do not have correspondence arid off-hand                               is necessary but merely.that it is possible. It is true
 Birj?rkss  an official condemnation of action  without                            that he does not attadh much valpe to the fact ihat
 having bene&ially called to do so and without having                              the word "day" ,does occur often in Holy Writ as ndt
 been presented with material  30 study for the delegates                          me?ely  referring to a period of twenty four hours.
 and the &urches. If all this has been done we should. Some seek support for their contention that the days
 have. the courtYesy  and brqtherly  lope to present our                           of Genesis 1 are periods from the fact that often in
 criticism to that church.                                                         Holy Writ the word "day" refers tb a period of time
           We trust that we have mdde  our protest clear. we                       loilger. than twenty-four hours.-z W-ith these passa&s,
 have made..this  rather `lengthy prqtest because we feel                          1 am sure, we are all acquainted.  -  rscripture,  e.g.,
 that the problem has -become  so involved and Synod                               speaks of the entire New Dispensation as the' "`last
 deals with a difficult situation.                                                 hour"; However, Dr. Bavinck does not  attach much
                                                                                   significance to these passages iti support df his con-
 OVERTURE:                             ~-                -                         tention that also the days of Genesis 1 mai be -long
           Ii1 order to present something positive to  Sy+  periods   Of  time*                                                                     /
 and `to co@inue action in-our testimony -to the `truth,                                  But, Dr. Bapipck does attach significance to the                     ,
we overture Synod:  ,-  :  .-                                                      following considerations. First, and we have already
           1. To repudiate the action of Synod of 1950  as. call.ed  attention to this, the late professor declares that
found iii the Acts, `page 54, Art. 64 and page 90, Art.                            if 6en. 1 :l must be considered as constituting a part
 $7.               `.                                                           \ of the first-day, then that first day must be regarded
   .a. Because Synod cannot interpret the Cqnfessions                              a; i very unusual- and .e&raordinary day.
without a specific charge of .error and instruction from .;                                                                                                         *.
t h e   c h u r c h e s .                                .                                :Secondly, he opines that the fir& three days, also
                                                                                   as according to -the intention of Genesis, must be reck-
           b. Althougll- this' does not mean that we .rej ect Ithe                 oned according to or by a different standard than the
essential thrust of the declaration. Rather we refuse                              latter three. The expression `"day and night" does not
to be committe'd  unnecessarily in an imprc$& way.                                 refer to a period of short& or longer duration, but to
 I  C. That  ~6  agk"ee   with the  essentidl  teaching of                         an exchange df light and darkness. This exchange of
the principles and e%press  our willingness to `fulfills                           light ajnd darkness was not. `affected by the sun during
our calling to formulate this teaching when instructed                             the first three days, inasmuch as the sun `was created
to do so being presented with ,&rror within our church-
                         `  -
e s .                                                                   .-         upon the fourth day, but it was' effgqted in a different
                                                                                  .way by the-light which was created upon the first.day.
           2. TF, instruct our Committee' for corr&p&dence                         Hence, the length of the first three days cannot be de-
with other churches ic\ submit `a documented reportof                              termined.
the confession and teaching with their  criticislin or                                      Thirdly,  the- latter t&ee days_ can be regarded in
appTova1  of :                   -'                                               -the same- light as the first three days .and in harmony
           a. churches which `seek corr&pondence with us..                         with,. them. Scripture speaks of all six days in the                              "
           b. and churches. with whom the committee sliQys                         same sense. ,_ Genesis 1 does not -waRrant  the conclusion
evidence that we sh,ould seek &o?respondence.                                    that there`is any difference between them. Of all these
           3. To take no further acti& `until this has been                        six days we read.that  it was evening and it was morn-
presented. And that  such..a  de6i@on with  respe:ct  to                           ing. .-Hence, if the first three days were long periods
such a report  will  -constitL!te   our official stand  upon                       of time, the same applies to the.l&ter three days.
our confessions 
  . . .                    .wit&,  relation .t?`,bt&er churches. ,. .:,.` ..       Fourthly, it is very. difKcult to place ilpon the sixth
                                                               H. H.
                                                   ._                             ,day ,a11 that was created upon that day according to,

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                                                                         ..~
322                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BI$kRER   .:
                          -
 the Scriptures. Upon that,. day. were created the ani-           in his Reformed Dogmatics, declares that the tendency
 mals, the forming `of Adam, .the planting. of the gar-           to explain the "days" of Genesis as periods an.d not as
 den, the anpouncement  of the probatiohary command,              ordinary days developed only after the new sciences
th'e bringing of .the animals and the- giving of names to         of geology and palasontology  -came forward with their
.them by Adam, the sleep `of Adam and the accompa&                theories of the enormous'age of the earth; and he also
 ing creation of Eve. Bavinck declares that all this              declares that the opinion that, the days. of creation are
 may have been possible, but not probable.                        long periods of time came to the foreground, not as
       F?fthly, it is not the intention of Genesis to show        the result of exegetical studies, but under the influence
that the creation of the world occurred in six days of            of the'disclosures of science: And, this is indeed true.
twenty-four hours duration ; the'ie. days simply refer            Men had becoine. fearful and" apprehensive- because 0f
to the time in which Gdd `was creatively busy. With .the "findings" of "Science". It  seemed  to them that
 each morning He created something new, and the even-             the plain woid of the Scriptures was in conflict with
 ing set in @en that thing had been completed.                    these "scientific facts". Sureiy, we cannot ddubt <he
   Finally, much moie was created on each day than                geologist who examines the earth and who, because
that which is held before us iii Genesis 1 and 2. This,           of the various layers of  the earth  and the different
for .example,  also applies to the commandments of the            fossils found there  .and the skeletons and bones of
Lord. We know that these commandments are much                    peoljle  and animals who must' have lived ages and
broader than merely that which is stated literally in             ages ago, came to the conclusion that this earth must
them. -The comtiandment,  e.g., "`Thoti shalt not kill," surely be older than a mere six thousand years, and
 also implies+that  we must not hate, yea, that we must           that our world has been in  .a process of formation
love the neighbor. This, then, according to Dr. Bav.;             which lasted thousands and `millions of years. `This
inck, also applies to the Scriptural account of ckeation          was the undeniable conclusion of the geologist and the
 iln. Genesis.  -(  -,                                            students of Holy Writ did not dare to disagree.
                                                                     Hence, they. now-once more. approached the Scrip-
 O~r~appraisal   o f   thkviezu.                     '            tures, not, we understand, to b@v before the authority
                                                                  of the sacred record, but to try to explain Holy Writ
       What, now, shall be said df this concordistic theory       in such a way that the Word of God could somehow be
 of the week.of creation which would regard the "days" halmmonized  with these so-called  scienti&c findings.
 of Genesis 1 as long periods of tinie rather than as             This explains syhy it happe_ns that,' although the late
 days. of `twenty-f our..liours  ?                                Dr. Bavinck; in the same context to which we have
       First, it .is characterized by its utter lack of Scrip-    already referred in the foregoing, cautions on the one
 tural proof. This should be self-evident. And.this- is           hand again placing too much confidence in these geo-
all the more remarkable because the  iate Professor               logical findings, he nevertheless also declares that
 Bavinck can be so mighty in the Scriptures and quote Genesis 1 can be  exegeted in such a way that "the
 from the Word of God from Genesis to  Revelatioil.               "days" of Genesis 1 were long periods of time. The
 Yet, here he outlines and wbuld chambion a view with-            students of Scripture did not.- permit Scripture to
 o& any &riptural support. Moteover,  he really does              speak. its own language ; they did not turn unto the
 not know what to do with Ex. 20 : 11 and 31.: 17 : "For          Word of the Lord because they. would be -led `by the
 in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea,             light of God's infallible testimony ; they: Y'ead the Bible
 and all that in them is, and rested the. seventh day :. with the fear of `the scientific findings and data gnaw-
 wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hal-             ing at their  hearts and minds  ; and they made the
 lowed .it . . . It is-a sign between Me and the cliildren        desperate attempt to explain Scriptqre in the light' of
 of Israel  for ever: for in six days the Lord `made              Science, and assumed an apologitic attitude tdward  the
 heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested,              Scriptures because of the rather quaint testimony,
 and was refreshed." `Does it really make&any differ- the rather  f`old-fashione$"' testimony of  God's  own
 ence if the first dajr appears to have been unusual and          infallible Word. This, `i;ve'sur&lf  understand,. is thor-
 extraordinafy, and if many things were called i&o                bughiy ftillacious,. may never characterize us. `We can-
 existence upon the sixth day? Does Genesis 1 .give us            not and may not assume a "neutral" or a critical atti-
 at any time the impression that the Lord took co&                tude over against the Word of the living God. We
 siderable time to do the things He did? Did He not               must not permit Science to dictate unto us the true
 call all things into -bxistence by I$s almighty and irre-        interpret&on of Holy Writ. If it be true, and it is,
 sistible .will and word?                                         that Dogmatics niay' `never Lord it over Exegesis,
       Secondly, the attempt to explain the days of crea-         then it is just as ti"ue that so-called, Science may not
 tion as periods of time and not as ordinary days, can            domiinate over our  ihterpretation  of  <God's Word. I
 hardly be considered .to rest upon sound and honest              say; so-called Science. For tfue Science certainly im-
 exegesis of the Word of the Lord. Alss, Pro& Berkhof,            plies true knowled@--"knowledge" is the literal mean-
                                                                                              3
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                                    TtiE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                          323

  ing of the word. Any "Science" which dares to raise ~- repetition of the expression: "And. the evening and
  its head above the Word of the living God, and usurps                the morning  were1  the first day." . This expression
  to itself the sole right and ability to know things,                      occurs in this chapter in the verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and
  cannot be true Science, for it places itself against the' 31. -That the days 4-6, the fourth through the sixth
  infallible ;Scriptures,  the one and only record. of the -day, are,to  be viewed as days of shorter duration than
  infallible ,God. ,                                                        the first, three days is not indicated in this chapter
                                                                            in any `way. Hence, the above rule of exegesis cer-
                          $ *       *                                 ; tainly applies here.
     THE  DAYS  OF   GENESTS  GRDINARY  DAYS.                          Kecondly, Scrfiptures  tells us that the days of creation
     And, therefore, we must maintain, irrespective `of ` .~.
                                                                            were ddys, 1imi~e.d by one morning &ad one evening.
  what Science may say and irrespective of the.fact that                       It is true that the Word of God also speaks of days
  many things were apparently created or called' into                       and hours in a figurative sense of the word. We read,
  existence upon the sixth day of creation, that the'days              for example, that "now is the day of salvation",;and it
  .of Genesis were ordinary days of twenty-four hours                       is-clear that the expression does not refer to a day of
  duration, and that all things, also Genesis 1 :l, were twenty four hours.. We also read in the Word of God
  call,ed into existence by the omnipotent will of the liv-                 that "this is the last hour", and we realize that this
  ing God in the space of six. twenty-four hours days. is not merely an hour of sixty minutes. But, when-
  For this we have the following reasons, all based?  upon                  ever we read of such a day or such an hour in Holy
  what we read in the Word of God.                ,                         Writ, do we read that `it was a day limited by one
                                                                            morning and one evening? Fact remains that the
  First, Scripture mni&es:nG &is&in&on between the first _. theory which advocates that the "days" of Genesis 1
tliree  dqjs  ski the  latt<r three days  of  the  Hex-                     were long periods of time denies that they w,ere clays.
' aemeron.                                                                  According to this theory these `"days"mlasted  thousands
    We ,understand that those who do not accept that - of years. `Hence, these "days" consisted of thousands
  the days of creation"are to be regarded as ordinary                       upon thousands of days, of thousands upon thousands
  days, surely must' agr.ee that the latter three days of              of mornings and evenings. But Genesis 1 tells us that
  creation-week were days of twenty four hours dura: these were days which had but, one morning and but
  tion. It is .a fact that the sun, moon, and stars were                    one evening. iSurely. these were days of twenty four
  created upon'the fourth day, and that then the change hours.                           _     _      .,
  of day and night was caused by the fact that th.e earth-
  turns around the sun on its axis. It is, therefore, ex- Thirdly, the attempt by the  theorist$ who would  ex-
 tremely difficult to maintain that the latter three days,             pikin these r'days" as periods to base their theory. upon
  because of the creation of the sun upon the fourth day,                   the. s?venth  d~Y `$ &sU~IJ-
  were long periods and not ordinary days of twenty                            The theorists who would base their period concep-
  four hours duration. It is true that the late Dr. A.                 tion of the days of creation upon. Scripture have ap- =
  Kuyper _ suggests the possibility that the .earth may                     pealed to the seventh day. We read in the Scriptures.
  have turned on its axis more ~16~1~ and that, there-                 that the Lord rested on the seventh day. And we also
  fore, the latter three days, the days. 4-6, may have                 know that the Lord even.until  now rests of His work
  been periods.instead  of days, but he also hastens to add            of creation. God's resting is continuous. The seventh
  that we know nothing of this. And this is true, i.e.,                     day, therefore, was not merely a day but is a long
  that we know nothing about this, except that we must                      period. Hence, also the other "days" must be viewed
  clearly understand that the Scriptures do-not give us                     as long ijeriods of time. "
  a single indication`that such indeed was the case, yea, .                    However, `this r.easoning  is obviously absurd. On
  that the Scriptures give us every reason to believe that             the one hand, this would make that seventh day end-
  the latter three days were ordinary day's and not per- less. God's resting is eternal and endless ; hence, also
  iods of thousands of years.                           -.             this seventh day'must be endless. But this is absurd,
     However, if we )must believe that the latter three                because what then .must we say of Adam's sin, etc.
days were ordinary days then we must also believe                      which happened upon the following days.                 If the
  that the first three days were: days of twenty four                  seventh day isendless, then we still have that day and
  ,hours duration. A very fundamental rule of exegesis no other day has ever succeeded it. `This is obviously
  is involved here, namely, th'at- the same word in the                SO  ridiculous that no comment is necessary. Besides,
same context must have the same significance, unless Scripture informs LZS  that God rested upon that seventh
  there is something in the text which clearly indicates' day in a special sense, inasmuch as He also sanctified
  an opposite `or different interpretation. And in the that  day. Hence; He rested`therefore in that special
 Scriptural narrative of Genesis 1 we have the repeated s sense in order that man-`should enter into, His rest,
                                                                                                            s
          `.                             `OG-,                3. .                                                                 ,


     3     2    4                          THE   STANdARD   .B-EARER

      and that therefore also this seventh day of rest was          existence passed through a lengthy process of time?'
      an ordinary day of twenty four hours. If this seventh         Must the things themselves determine their origin or
      day of rest`is endless, then also Adam is still in that       the manner and  1eng;th of time of their creation?
     rest, and this, too, is obviously absurd. And this is "Hence, we ask the yquestion  : `why must the church take
     confirmed by the fact that also the fourth cominand-           recourse to this "interpretation" of the origin of the
     merit, which speaks of the "sev.enth day"; also, men- world?* Is it easier to understand than the account
     tions`our work, and calls attention to the fact that we        which is held before LB in the Holy Scriptures? Does
     must work, six days and rest upon the seventh day.             the theory of "periods instead of days" bring us one
     Surely this seventh day is therefore no longer than            step closer to a clearer understanding of the forma-
     the other six days of the week. This is clearly the            tion of all things? To ask this quetion is to answer it.
     implication of the fourth commandment.                         One thing is sure : these theorists surely do not >enable
                                                                    us to bow before `the authority and- authenticity of
     Fourthly, the  th'eory  that,  &se  ?lays-"  wer,e  pekiods    Holy'Writ with increasing awe and adoration.
     leads us in@ Evol&on.                                               In the second place, does not Scripture teach us
          Of'this theory we expect to have more to say, when `exactly the truth that the world and all the things that
     we, call attention tothe Scriptural account of the crea-       are therein were called into existence and being by
     tion of man. We will, therefore, not enter into a de- the almighty and irresistible Word of the living God?
     tailed discussion of this bit of worldly philosophy at         Where .do we read in the book of Genesis, or in Scrip-,
     this time. .                                                   ture's- account there of the creation' of the .universe,
          Only, we wish to, point out now that this' `"periods-     that the creation of the world was the result of a long
                                                                    process, of develonment or that `it required thousands
:    theory" is surely evolutionistic. This lies in the very
     nature of the case. Is it not a fact that, according to        and thousands of years? Could the Scriptures describe'
     this presentation of the Divine work of' creation" each        the `work of creation as the result of the Lord's al- _
     "day" "lasted thousands of years, that, theref ore,-God's mighty and irresistible speaking more vividly than it
     speaking whereby I$e called various things' into exist-~ does? Do' we not read, over and over again : "And
     ence must be  donsidered  as stretching over a long            God  s&d."? And is it-not, therefore, true that it is
     period of time. This  impli.es that the various creatures      exactly this almighty Word of the `Lord which called
     came into existence through. a long process, and this all things into being? And is this not verified else-
     even though one would not necessarily consent to the           where in, Holy Writ when we ready that God speaks
     . conception (as the -evolutionists clearly `teach) that       and it is, that He commands and it.~stands?     Is it not
     the one type of creature developed into another. Does          true that all the works. of the Lord .are characterized
     not the late Dr. Bavinck suggest that much more was            by the fact that they are works. of a moment, which
     created upon each ofythe six days than that which is           occur in the `"twinkling of an eye"? This is true of-
     recorded in `Scripture, yea, that so much was created the Divine work of recreation, which we also call re-
     upon the sixth day that it is difficult to believe that        generation. And this also' applies to the heavenly re-
     Ithis sixth day was an ordinary day of twenty four newal of all things in eternal and heavenly glory; Must
     hours? Does this not imply that it then required the we accept, .even as the earthly creation passed.thrpugh
     Lord thousands and thousands of years to create- and           a period of thousands and thousands `of years, that
     call into existence the things which were made .upon           therefore also the transfiguration of all things; the
     that `day? Well, if. this be true, then we' simply have regeneration of all. things in heavenly perfection will
     the evolutionistic conception applied `to this account         require hundreds and thousands of years? Mor.eover;` *
     of the creation of the world. This simply means that this is exactly what Modernism teaches, namely, that
     the calling of things into existence (not to speak.now         the world is gradually becoming better and better, and
     of merely the coming of `things. into existence) passed. that it ultimately will reach perfection.~  But this. is
     through a process, a very lengthy process which re-            not Scripture's .description  of' all things. We must
     quired- thousands upon thousands of years.                     therefore.maintain that. the concordistic conception of
          However, this conception is surely impossible. In the. creation of the universe is impossible. `The Lord
     the first place, we would ask the question: But why            created all things in creation-week by the word bf His
     must we have this interpretation of the things? Could power, `in the "twinkling of an eye",. and also` for this
     not the Lord have called the things into existence by reason the "`period-theory" is  untenab1.e and. impos-
     the word of His almighty power, in the `"twinkling of          s i b l e .   _
     an eye" ? Is not the Lord the Almighty God? ~Why,                  And, finally, what a strange conception of -the crea-
     in the light of the fact that many things were called tion and development of the world we must entertain
     into being upon the sixth day of the week, should. it `if we subscribe to this "period-tlreory"?l But to this
     be necessary'to conclude from the formation of these we. hope to call attenti.on in our-following article.
     many things that therefore' their being. called into ,
          " .                                                                                               H. Veldman.  ._
                                                                                                                / .


         \
                                          `T H E ,   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      325
                                                                                 _
                   .what                 T'?kg?          ,`.     the Church Order  bf Dordrecht and professing the
                                                                 $criptures to be the infallible Word of God (as stands
                                                                 to reason) : `The promise of the Gospel, both as to the
     When tine cpmpares the report of the special ses-           vtrill of &God to, save His people and. the. execution of
  sion of Classis East which was held in February with           His will to. save them, is not general, that is, it does
  the report of the March session of Classis West, o.rie         not include all the baptized children of the church, but
  is forced to conclude that unless th.ere are sudden and        is particular, that is, it pertains .o,nly to the el,ect of
  complete reversals of opinion, the Declar&ion of. Prin-        God.' ", This eFpre%ion,  you will note, says nothing
  ciples as drawn up by the 1950 Synod will be rejected          of the controversial subject of conditions or no con-
  by our churches. Classis West had almost unanimous-            ditions and would surely allow us to make  use of what
  ly decided to advise Synod not to adopt it.  Classis           s&era1  bf our- ministers call  "cqnditions  .in  &he  re-
  East is very greatly .divi.ded  in its stand other agtiinst    for.med  sense." It surely does not present us a& living
  this declaration. How can` one conclude anything else          and teaching a deadly passivism. Nor does it deny
  than that to all appearances our churches do not want          ma's resppnsibility.  Neither can it he used to accuse
  this document .adopted?        Reasons are given why it US of saying that the preaching of the promise, is not
  should be adopted. Fully as many, and p&haps everi             in any sense for the reprobate, for we surely do believe
  more numerous are the reasons drawn up to bolster that it is us&i by God for the hardening of the repro-
' $he stand that the Declaration must be rejected.               bate as a  savour `of death unto  de&h. Understand'
     Among those given  ,as reasons  .fo? its complete           the undersigned is not urging the delegates to Synod
  rejection are, the following: 1. It has been illegally         to adopt this advice given to the last Synod. But he
  and in aii hierarchical way brought to t~he attention          asks, what then? If not the Declaration, then this
  of our churches ; 2; To adopt would mean that we have          perhaps? Let the delegates consider now already what
  a fourth form and we ought not spoil our tradition ;           they intend to do when they vote against the Declara-
  3.  -It. is not-  n'ecessary  since we have gotten along       tion and realize. that their work is not finished with
  without one these twenty-seven years ; 4. It is not the        this matter when they vote against it.          =
  aiiswer to the request of the Mission Committee.for  a            . Or shall it be another still briefer statement that,
. form; and 5. Some are not ready, to agree with the             "we the undersigned desiring to become members of
  cont,ents  pf the document and to say that this is what        the Prot&tant Reformed Churches in America or to
  our churches have always taught and believed. And              organize as a congregation in this federation of chur- .
  so, unless & great change of mind occurs, the Declara-         ches express . . . ." &@ress what? `The matter  ' of
  tion of Principles will be rejected.                           Infra and Supra we- can safely leave out .of the -dis-
   B u t .   .   . what then?       <                            cussion. For both trace. all our. salvation to election.
     The matter is-not quite as simple as all that. The          Supra ancl Infra have to do with the relation between
 -matter before the Syhod of 1951 is not simply: shall           the Fall and Election, and not between -Ele%tion  and
 we have the Declaration or not? The moment that the             Faith. But what shall we say and maintain about the
  Declaration is out of the way, that moment Synod will          Breaching of the ,Gospel and the presentation of' the .
  indeed stand before. the question, "What then?~`,' or          promise to all who hear it? When believers cqme to
  "What ndw ?" For the request of the Mission Com-               us from-the `Christian Reformed churches we a,& them
 ,mitt&e will stand there unanswered. .Noti there are            to declare that they! deny "Common Grace". By dping
 qnly two things which Synod cali consider, and there            so- wedem.and  that thejr believe that the p&aching of
`is only one ,of two things which she can decide. Eithkr         the Gospel. is grace only for the  .elect.  May we  liot
Synod must draw up such a,form as requested by the               also demand that they or any others declare that they          I
 Mission Committee, oy Synod will have to inform the             believe that the promtses spoken, at .Baptism  speak of
" Mission Committee that -.it `is of the opinion that no         a grace that God swears He Will give only to the
 such form is necessary  either.   _                             elect  ?
     If  iSynod should  d.ecide to draw up  such  a  ,form,           The consistory of our church at,Holland,  Michigan
 thezwhole matter of what we' want to express asour              advises Synod to reject this Declaration. Bit Hol-
peculiar heritage will again come up for discussion.             land's consistory is to ,be commended in this ,that  she
 Woult Synod reconsider the first ad&e given it by               does not simply overthrow, .she suggests something
 the Committee of Pre-advice? For the sake df those              positive. That is  always commendable. And we be-
 who do not have their Acts of Synod at hand we will             lieve that. we may  say with confidence, presenting
 quote it. j It reads thus : "To adopt the following clear-      proof thereof, that Holland's' consistory .wants to pre-
 cut expression'-as one which- should appear in each             serve the truth as our churches have been privileged
 request for organization, along with the denial of to cherish it .a11 these years.. For Holland's consistory
 common grace and &e Three Points of 1924, and,pro-              after rejecting the Declaration presents three points
 fession  of adheranee to the Three Forms of Unity and           which it  would have Synod adopt  -inst,ead. They are:


             326                                  _  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                  .
            1. Agreement with the Scriptures and the Three Forms          come from the bottqm, is not necessary and would be
            of Unity. 2. A promise to be `willing to come under           a fourth form, rnag we not yet instruct the Mission
            instruction in the Protestant Reformed Truth. And             Committee to demand something more than a state-
            3. A promise `not to militate again& this truth. Note         ment of agreement with the Scriptures, and Confes-
            that second point. It speaks of, Protesta& Reformed           sions? Holland's consistory certainly is of that opinion,
            Truth. It acknowledges that we have something very though it do& not favour the -Declaration.
            precious, something distinct-from ALL, oth.e? churches           Must we not insist that the Mission -Committee de-
            and that we want to preserve  -it. And we forbid              mand more of those who desire to organize as Pro-
          (point 3) agitation against it. Though  jt is against           testant Reformed Churches? When we read and hear,
            the Declaration, Holland's Consistory does want Synod not only from ministers and professors in the Nether- '
          to draw someth$ng, up that the truth which we ,habe             lands but alsb in personal contact with Immigrants in
            may be preserved and may be kept even from being              Canada, things which sound ,exactly like the first point
            attacked as though it were contrary to the :Scriptures        of 1924 but now applied td the sacraments and to the
            and the ConfesSions.                                          covenant blessings rather than to the preaching-of the
                  There may be delegates to Synod who -are of a dif-      Gospel, a$ those who declare and writ&such things
            ferent opinion. Even as the opponents of the Declara;         maintain that the Oonfessiolis allow these views and
            tion are divided in their reasons for rejecting it, they      statements, must we inform the Mission Committee
            may also be divided in their opinion as to whether a          to go ahead and  organize   thbm if they will simply
            form should be drawn up for the Mission Committee.            declare that they agree to the Scriptures and the Con-
            At present we have no way of determining that. It is,         fessions, permitting them to interpret .them as they
         of course, entirely possible that Synod does want to will? This-they  surejy will do and will continue to
            decide that our Mission Committee needs no such maintain the things which tie fought against in 1924
            form.                                                         and which we forbid those from the -Christian Refor;m-
                  Btit.. . w h a t   t h e n ?                            ed Churches to maintain in our felltiwship.
                  The matter here again is not quite so simple that          Another thing, we surely need not bind anyone in
            we can tell the Mission Cominittee  this. To say.' the        our.fellowship to a definite concept of the covenant as
            very least it does not recognize the problem which has        to w'hether it is an arrangement or whether as to its
          been the Mission Committee's in the past two years.             idea it is. the relationship of friendship between I God
          To instruct the Mission Committee simply to. demand             and His people, but is it possible for the Liberated
            df `those from the Liberated <Churches agreement with         view bf baptism and of the promise .to exist side by
            the Three Formulas of Unity and with the Scriptures           side with our view?  The advice of. Holland's  con-
            would be equal to informing these Liberated Churches          sistory shows that it ddes not believe this, for it wants
           `that we desire immediate sister-church. relations with        Synod to declare that those who join &r churches may
            them. .For tie know definitely that officially `the Liber-    not agitate against our truth. And is it not exactly
          ' ated Churches have no Confession besides the Three            in these matters that we differ with the Liberated
            Formulas of Unity. We know also that they main-               church'es ?  Thr.ee  of the former consistory members
            tain that their covenant conception is based upon the         of our congregation at Hamilton have put it down
            Corifessions.                                                 black on white that they deem our doctrine, our truth,
                  Now when an individual  coties to  otir  ch_urches      of which Holland's consistory speaks, to be heretical.
            with, .a certificate from a Liberated Church .stating         For did they not send a letter `to all- our Churches
          ' that he is in good standing or sound in faith and walk,       `( classis East at least) stating that tYi& would be will-
            is that not a testimonial from this consistory that#he,       ing to `return to membership in our churches if and
            in its opinion, -believes the Scriptures and the Three        when we wduld maintain only the Scripture and the
            Formulas of Unity and hold to no other confessions?           Three Formulas of Unity? Does that not me& that
          . . We need but receive their papers without asking one         they considered. the Protestant Reformed_ `truth as
            q u e s t i o n .                                             preached by th& R,ev. H. Veldin&ti  as being contrary
                  When one comes  from the Christian Reformed to Scripture and the Cpnfessions?  Their protest was
            Churches to our church we ask him whetl?er  he repudi-        never against -the Rev. H. Veldman personaily nor of
            ates "Common Grace" because we are convinced that             his personal doctrine. It was  agBinst the  wh,ole  of
           the Confessions dd not allow @is view. Then, by this           Classis East which demanded what Holland's  Con-
            action, we specify what we believe to be contrary to          sistory suggests to the Synod of 1951. Never did they
            the, aConfessions.     Here it is  tiot necessary that we     protest to Classis'that-the Rev. H. Veldman was not
            have a Declaration because the Christian Reformed             preaching Protestant Reformed doctrine. But it was
            Churches drew up an heretical Declaration in 1924,. just exactly this Protestant Reformed doctrine which
            and we need but demand repudiation of it. If the              he `preached to -which they objected. It was because
;_-,1
 .          D$aration  Qf Principles must go because it d<d not           he insisted on -the last twlo points of- Holland's advice
            p;
          ,,  I'                          -:*
                          ,.


         ,          /  .                                                                                                        *

  ,           -
                                         T    H    E      s:TANDARD   BE~~RER                                          3 2 7 '

 that they left him and our churches. And these men              for that matter towards any of our -own people who
 still maintain that they agree with the Three Formulas `do not favor the Declaration) and would sincerely
 bf Unity. These lines are written without any malice             rejoice to see our churches correspond with the Liber-
 whatsoever, and if thk undersign&d has misunderstood,            ated churches and establish sister-church relations if
 let the brethren say so. ,Let them- say whether Scrip-           and when it can be done without endangering our view
 ture and Cbnfessions leave room for our view of the              of God's grace. He has spent many enjoyable hours
 promise.                                                        and days with immigrants in Canacla and has learned
        Then, tod, when we -desire to lay the emphasis ilpon     to respect thei& as brethren and sisters in the Lord.
. election, brother Van Spronsen accuses us of letting But,. he also. loves the Protestant Reformed heritage
 our dogmatics rule our exegesis and so allowiug it tb           which our Covenant God gave us to enjoy and to tire-
 lead us to a  wroilg  conclusiqn. Let  the-.under{igned          serve for  6ur children and the Church of  God as it  8
 state that he appre'ciateg,  the brother's charitable and        shall appear on this .earth yet ia the' days, to come.
 brotherly attitude in all his writings. But thk point           And he wants to be allowed to preach and to believe
 we wish to make is that our Protestant  Reformed                that truth in our churches in the days to come. There-
 Truth is questioned by the Liberated. Therefore we, fore he has asked -the question, if `the .Declaration  by
 ask whether both views can exist side by side .in oee           majority vote is declared to be unnecessary and illegal-
 chtirch. We would like to  heaY' the brother explain             ly presented,  what then? And if  the. request of' the
 also the things'whi&h we maintain are the First Point            Mission Committee is also declared to be improper so
 of "Common Grace" apblied .to the covenant such. as             that Synod says, "Simply require a statement of agree-
 the statement: "For when <God gives His baptism to              ment with the Scriptures and  th.e Confessions", what
 a humtin being, He bestows, upon him a very parti-              then?  The. Christian Reformed Church& will quote
 cular prdof of His love." And the statement, "He these to maintain "Common Grace". Well, organize
 says to ~~11 those childl-en, head for head . . . I pledge       them then as Protestant Reformed Ch&ches ? None
 to yoi7 the. full forgiveness of sins and eternal salva-         of LX would think of such a thing. But on the basis of
 tion : all the treasures and riches; which I am able             the Confessi.ons  then and not on the basis of the De-
 to give $0 men." Will the byother shdw us how this               claration,.  may we not demand also of the Liberated
 can be said of everzj baptized .child without teaching .that they deny that God declares to `all baptize'd child-
 the grace-to-all-who-hear-the-Gospel theory of "Com-            ren His love for" them ? Let us be charitable with the
 mon Grace"? The brother attacks our view of the                  Liberated, indeed, and let us exercise all patience, but
 promise, and he has the right to do so, if he thinks             let us also ask ,ourselves  what the Rev. H. Veldman is
 th& it is unscriptural and unreformed. But we also .constantly holding up before us, "Do we as Protestant
 have a right to expect him to show us that statements           Reformed Churches have a distinctive calling?" Of
 such as those above are not the same as the things               coul%e,  ye do, and on this we are all agreed. We have
 which we have consistently condemned since 1924.                the testimony eyen from the Liberated themselves that
 And if we do tell -the Mission Committee to- demand J the Rev. De J&g and the Rev. Kok fought vigorously
 no more than a statement of agreement. with the'con-            for .o?~r view when they were there a short time ago.
 fessions and Scripture ,and we organize congregations            It- i-s plain then, is it not, that we have a distinct and
 on that basis, majr we ndt expect such congregations precious view of God's  grate,  also as applied to every
 to allow our ministers also to preach the &otestant             baptized child? We say again, let us deal in loxe and
 Reformed Truth in the circle of our own churches?               all pa&nce with the Liberated both in Canada and in
 And may we' not exegete SGod's  Word in the light of            the Neth&laqd,s,  but .is &la lack of love to inform theti
 that same Word, letting. Scripture explain Scripture             that. we believe that even as the  Predching of the
 s+ that even  thoygh the text may speak simply of                Gospel is not grace `to all who hear so the sacraments
 believers we may explajn that these believers are, of            are not grace either to all'who receive the sign? What
 course, in every instance the elect? `Th&t  is not let- is unbrotherly about that? Is it a lack of love  wheri
 ting Dogmatics rule exegesis `but is tile.-explanation          we  tell' them that the love of  ,God constrains us  td
 of all faith by the Saviour Himself when He% declared, defend- also in regard to the sacrament of Baptism as
 in John 1026, "Ye believe not because we arelnot of             well as:in regard to the Preaching of, the Gospel the
 my sheep." Let us never turn that around as though `truth that God's grace is particular? Since 1924 we
 -election is determined by faith.  We  40 not believe, ;htiye  ,defended  -that truth of  ,God's particular grace,
 that the brother Van Spronsen has, one fiber. iti .his and iti our Synod `(see Acts of Synsd, 1940, p. 41)
 being that w8nts to. do such a thing, but the' under:           went on record to send a letter to the Christian Re-
 signed does want to be allowed to exegete @ith ,&ch -.fortied Churches declaring that we consider this mat-
 guidance  .from Scripture itself.                              * . t&r "of the Preaching of the Gospel to be contrary to
        The undersigned has no hard feelings. or ,malicious :$ the Scriptures and the Confessions. We cannot see
 thoughts towards any of the Liberated (nor  surely              how Synod can do anything less then in June than td '
                                   `\


      3 2 8                                                         -,`TH'E     S$%-ti:D'A,R'D                                    BE'qRER             ___.      -.._
                           J.
      declare to the Missibn Committee' that we muse insist                                               _                 `.
      that those who declare agreement with the'Scriptupes                                                         _  .:          '  -Contiribution.
      and the Confessions m&t declare that they- belieGe  that
      t& S&ptures and Xl-$ Confesgioils teach a particular                                             Esteemed                    -Ed&or:     .:        _ :
      grace both in the Preaching of the Word an?l in' the                                                B&a&,e  Of the Y=esponse` to. my iatest contribution
      Sacrament of Baptism. And we ask, is ,it `a lack of                                              a.nd because for the sake of darificatiqn which at least
      love when, in our-love for this <truth which we have                                             one of your answers requires and because I desire to
      been privileged to enjoy and propagate,  we +&it forth                                           phblicly  assure you. that I l&e you `as a. brother in
      serious .and. sin.cere  efforts of ,love to explain and de-                                      Christtancl esteem you highly for y&r works' sake and
      fend this t?uth ,in.*the hearing of the Liberated immi- because `I glso would inforin you that I have upon var-
      grants so that they may enjoy its ,beauty and comfort                                            ious  occasiotis  and'even very lately defended your name
      with us?  (`.                                          ._  e                                     and person,` I sincerely hope that you will not advise
         If' the `Declaration must bo because `we are `con- me to also keep this contribution in my pen.
      vinced that it is i detriment to the- cause of the truth                                            Alldw me to answer as the thoughts come-rather
      because qf its -illegality, then let `us tell the Mission than, fu;om your order. Granted ?
      Committee that our stand of 1924 and 1940 is, also OLW                                               In  the first place, I did not sqy re Hamilton that
      stand in 1951, namely, that we $$ll' believe `$fiat the                                          that which we have read is on.e-stied. I, wrote that WC?
      Scriptures and the Confessions'tea&  UQ that l&e grace                                           have heard from one  sidle. That is quite different.
      and love of God are particular So- `that the Preaching                                           What court is there that calls in. one witness only?
      df the Gospel .is grace. only to the' elect and that th6                                         For myself, I would'iike to examine the corpse. Then
      Sacraments are likewise grace only to those chosen                                               I believe that the jury could better determin"e  whether
--    from all eternity unto faith. If we ca; agree on this                                            i.t was suicide, murder, negligent homicide, or a. com-
      point then we haye come a long way toward clea?ing                                               bination of any or all of these. This must not be taken
      up all misunderstanding of each others stand. Then                                               to mea.n that I am casting aspersions on the detailed
      calmly and, with increased interest we can discuss such                                          reports given `by the Rev. H. Veldman but we must
      matters as the use of the, word condition and what                                               cofisid&.that there may. be mitigating circumstances.
      we ou&t to understand by the covenant. It is with a                                                Secoildly, you ask "Who says so?" Well, my sig-
      sinceie desire to present the is&e as clearly as he pos-                                         nature was on the letter and it would not be- difficult
      sibly can that the undersigned has penned the lines                                              to obtain others, but in the past you have advised that
      above.                   :                                                                       a multitudes of names carries no more weight. But I
                                                                      -John A. Heys.  ' could possibly add yours too since your editopial  was
                                                                                                  _    entitled "Another Reason". Brother IJtsma was one
                                           "i                                                          reason, Hamilton congregation a second and brother
                                     ,                                                                 Van Dixhoorn anot,her.
                                                                                                         ~ Thirdly, I'.don't  care to have either you'or anyone
                                                 I                                                     else sweep a sincere thought aside by labeling it "evil
                                                                                                       insinuatio-ns". That is reading my heart and is a sort
                                                                                                       of psycho-analysis which I will not concede to either
                                    I N   MEMOEIAiT
                                                      -.                                               you or any other mortal. I .could  with equal vigor state
                                                      ..-                                              that that evil insinuation is an evil insinuation and we
                `
                .
        On March 131 1951; it pleased the Lxrd to take tint& Himself                                   could continue unabated for page after .page and a<-
      our-beloved wife and mother.                                                                     complish and prove no more than when naughty boys
                                                                                                       quarrel  atid,fiurl improper ep,ithets  back and forth.
                       Mrs.  ,Ge&dilte   ILykstra   (nee  Knott)                                          Fourtblq,  your staccato "not aware",  natiely,  that
      & the age  :of 61 years.                                                                         the `brother was not a `member at the time, speaks
                                                                                       .               v'olume8 both by the admission arid omissi'on.                   The
        Rom&s   8:28  - And we  i&w that all things  work,together                                     questioh i&mediately  arises  .as.  to how many other
      for good to them'that  love God.                       _,.                                       matters lack `the hecessary  factudl  background before
                                                                                            .'
                                          -Mr. John Kerkstra                     ,a                    $onstructi:on  is placed upon them and  c&&&ions
                                          Mr. and Mrs. J.  Stouten   `1                                `drawn? And" the  omissioti places  us'  before the  im-
                                          Mr. and Mrs. H. Schipper                           ;         @ort&t-qiestiqn as to w&&h&  yoii `would have dealt
                                          Mr. and Mrs. C. Prince                                       btherwise  had'you known?
                                          Mr. and Mrs. A.  H: Kerkstra  .'                                     I regret that I, `received but eight answers. You
                                          Frances. Kerkstra                      '                     can do `but little with .the number eight. `It is not a
      `Grand Rapids; Michigan                                                                           Scriptural number. .True, eight makes an octave but


                                                                         I



                                           THEE   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER                                                                        329 .

for a beautiful symphony we also .require  sharps ,and
 flats. Is it necessary to assure you that the above is                             -
                                                                              B-                                    Ingimnden
 not sarcasm but rather a meditative reflection?                              .~ .J~: Wanneer men de verslagen leest van Classis Opst e
    But, I can help to raise it at least to nine by respect-
 fully asking again: `5Since when have we' been giving -en West en' d,e uitslag der stemming nagaat in beide
 public notes of advice to consistories?" Are you in-                         vergaderingen,  clan  &.is er een zeer magere winst to
 ferring thereby that they  are. incapable of managing' boeken ten voordeele `van hen die door hun rusteloos
 their own local affairs at least until they request ad-                      geschrijf de kerken trachten op het hart te drukken
 vice from  th.e proper-ecclesiastical bodies?.  " dat aanname der Declaration gebiedend nopdzakelijk is. '
                                                                              Voorwaas een diepe teleurstelling voor hen die meenen
    Finally, I do not blame you for taking the oppor-                         dat .de IDeclaration het eenige behoud onzer kerken
 tunity to call my expression blasphemous. It %vould                          is zullen' we niet in Arminiaansche wateren  verzeilen.
 indeed require an extra-ordinarily magnanimous .char-                                   lOnwillekeurig gingen `we de geschiedenis eens na
 acter to pass it by. It was a loose chip and I am not- der afscheiding in 1934 onder leiding van Ds. de Cock,
 surprised that you stuck your axe behind it. But one men vond bij .hem geen gefatsoeneer van onze. -dude
 chip doesn't fell a tree. I would rather call it an in-                      beproefde belijdenis  schriften,   doch onder de  kenne-
 delicate expression. I should .have found a better. one                      lijke zegen des Heeren was het zwaard des :Geestes  `t -
 rather than the first that came to mind.                                     .welk is Gods Woord zijn ,eenig strijdwapen tegen d,e
    I have received complaints on .your method of ans- .bittere vijandschap die er toen heerschte in de Neder-
 wering at least my contributions. Readers have found landsche -Hervormde  -Kerk.
 it difficult to match the answer to the question and as                            -En als we dan de niet minder  felle kerkstrijd na-
 I pointed out above, at least one question which I have                      gaan in 1886 onder leiding-van Ds. Ku&per  dan was
 repeated was not even touched upon.                I                         het ook onder zijn optreden  alleen  zijn  &rev& de
    And finally, I trust that we understand that I have. zuivere  verkondiging van Gods Woord,  als een twee
 raised these questions not.for the- sake of stirring L$                      snijdend scherp zwaard, met dat zwaard in de vuist
`strife or attempting to depredate your writings, but                         bond, Kuyper de strijd aan tegen de moderne Ned.
 rather that we may be able to properly answer when                           Herv.  kerk. En  wat' waren in beide reformaties  af-
 those who militate against us use such material to                           scheiding en Doleantie de vruchten?. Dat als het ware
 speak unfavorably of our denomination.                                       door een electrische s&ok bijna door geheel Nederland
    I believe that I too understand our concept of. true                      de kerken uit de grond opreeien. Het volk werd wak-
 love.for the brethren. And I, do not believe that it con- ker en. `de Heere wrocht mede. Broeders hebben beide
 sists in a leaning backwards to be nice to people but                        reformaties  ook ons niet iets te .zeggen? Valt er voor
 rather a bending forward, a stooping forward and if                          ons uit de geschiedenis van `34 en `86  ni,et iets te
 need be a reaching downward to gather up and draw- leeren? Men maakte `zich niet druk over onze formu-
 ing close enough to tenderly whisper in the ear "Breth- `lieren, om die voor een zekere'groep pasklaar te ma-
 ren, this is `the glorious way of salvation. Here is the ken,- doch om Met gevleugelde woord van' Green van
`place where you may find rest for your-weary souls.. Pmrinsterer  te gebruiken (`t `welk sloeg op het terrein
 Hearken unto us, also you Canadian `immigrants,' and van den staat) en tot het onze te maken en dan op ker-
 we will testify what the Lord has done for us."                              kelijk gebied.: "tegen de revolutie het Evangelie". Ook
    It is well that as parents we' do not set our children ,daarin sch,uilt' onze `liracht. Predikt het Woord, zegt
 out on the street.  every time they do not hearken to                        de Heilige Schrift,. dat is-alleen onze roeping,  te strij-
 sound teaching. The streets would be full of children.                       den met  dat Woord tegen allerlei wind van leer, daarin
And if aGod so dealt with us our clergy- would be preach-                     alleen  ligt .onze kracht, en in dien weg, mogen we
 ing to empty benches .                                    .       `,         onder den zegen  des Heeren vruchten verwachten.
                                                                                                 I
                            V e r y   r e s p e c t f u l l y ,                                                            J.-R.  VanderWal.
                                       George Ten Elshof.  0                                                                            I
                                                                              ;             - .                               I
 Not;:  Brother"Ten  .Elshdf  -writes  that in his former                                 .~                  ..                             :          :
 contribution he asked the question-: "Since when have
 we been giving public notes of advice to consistories."                                                      DATE  ' CHANGED! %-
                                                                                                      .#.`
 It.would  have been impolite of me to neglect to answer                                 The -League of Men's Societies will have their an-
 a decent question. The ,trouble  is that I still* cannot nual membership' meeting on the 26th .of April (in-
n find the question in the brother's contribution.                            stead of the 1.9th) at the Creston Protestant Reformed
 5 As to the matter itself: that has been done repeat-                        Church. Rev. E. Emanuel will be the guest speaker; ' s
 edly, and there is nothing wrong in it.                                                 Ahmen in this area are invited to attend this im-
                      `-                                 H.H.' --
                                                                              portant  .meeting.                                                   .

                                                                                                                                   5
                ~~                                                                                                    I


                       i
                                                                                                                                             I
                2
                                        .~                                                                                  `.
                                                                                                                  \
               3 3 0                                         T H E   S T A N D . A R D   BEAR'ER
                                                                                                                                       ,
                                                                                 _ creature that moveth upon the face of. the earth.
                                   FRdM HOLY WRIT  `-  Q'                             There we also read of the fact, that God oreated'him
                                                                                      male and female. The'viewpoint there is the spiritual-
                                                                                      ethical character of man; his exaltation above the other
                                Exposition of I Car. 15%                             ' living creatures, in that he is created after the image
                                                                                      of God. .Man must portray God in His keeping of the
                                                                                     . commandments in true righteousness, holiness and
                            "Thus also it is written: the first man,. Adam, be-       knowledge. That is the view-point of the account of
                `. came a living soul ; the last Adam became a quickening             man's creation in Gen.  1:26-28.
                     Spirit"`. I Cqr. 15 :25.                                          .But in Gen.  2:7 the viewpoint is quite different.
                            W,e ended our last article with the remark, that if       It `is here that we see this man that is created after
                     any man preached well on IGenesis 2 :7, he would also            the image of God as he is constituted living creature.
                     preach well on Revelations 22, by so doing.                     God  mndc him  &v&g  creature,  living  soul,  a nephesh
                            ,It is well to keep this in mind. Better still: let us chajah!            .'
                     try, to set this forth in the very passage, of the Word.             Now he is quite uniquely living, SOLI& a nephesh
                - of God under consideration. For here, in I Cor. 15 :45,             chajah. I say this, because also all that God made to
               ' Paul is setting forth the full revelational and Christ-' move upon the face of the earth-is called "living soul",
                     ological-Eschatological implication. of `Genesis 2  :`7.         or "living creature". Thus we read in #Gem 1':20-21:
                            Proof' for' our contention th_at this -text is in its     "And God said) Let the waters swarm with swarms
                design Christological-Eschatological we have given in                 of Ziwhg~creatures,  and let birds fly above the earth,
                     the former article. Into-this we will not now  .enter            in the open firmament of heaven. And God created
                     more in detail. This would lead us too far from the              great sea-monsters, and every living creature that
                     purpose of this writing..                                        moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their
                            We will now simply listen to Paul and try to-repro-       kind, and every winged bird after--his kind: And God
                     duce His excellent exegesis  of Genesis 2 :7. For Paul saw that it was good." This was His creation on the
                does more here than merely quote this passage. In fifth day. It is the creation of fish andbirds. And
                     .quoting it he exegetes it for us. Let us not overlook this moving cr,eation, not tied to the earth in immobile
                     this. It is the exegesis of the Holy Spirit in Paul.             fashion like as the trees, is called "living soul". Thus
                            The first man became a living soul, says Paul. also in Gen.  I':24  - "And God said; Let the earth bring
                     Thus we literally r.ead in Gen. 2:7. Literally-the text forth living creatures. after their kind, cattle and
                -* reads: "And Jehovah `God formed man of the dust of                 creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their
                     the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the: breath           kind: and it was so:" Also, here the text speaks of the
                     of life ; and man became a living soul.".                        living soul.    To distinguish this  Zving soul of the
                            Concerning this passage we would notice the fol- animal world from the "living soul" of man the trans-
                     l o w i n g :                                        a           lators into the English language call the &ivin~ soul,
                            In the first place `that we are here dealing `with        the nephesh chajah of the'beast Ziv~~g ireature, while
                     the creation-account of how man &ecam,c .LI, living soul. - man is called a liv%Y                            .
                                                                                                               ~0.~1.    However, m `the Staten
                     It is well to notice, that when the text speaks of "han" Vertaling, both are simply translated "levende  ziel", ,
                     here it does not speak merely of the creation of Adam's          that is, living soul.
     '               bodzj from the dust. God did not simply form Adam's                Now, far be it-from LIS tokver wish- to identify the
                     body from the dust, but `God "formed 11z&z" from the             living soul of the animals, that move on the earth with
                     dust of the earth. Then, too, we should notice that              the "living soul" of man; The one is living soul turned
1              ' this creation act, whereby God formed man from the* face, downward to the earth. The man is turned face
                     dust of the ground, so that he was constituted a ~"living upward toward God and serves God in'his spirit, in
                     `soul", was a twofold act. Yet,.it was one creation act. his mind and will, which is ethically determined from,
               ' The entire man was formed from the -dust. Part of. a the heart. He is the image-bearer of God. Yet, `and
                     that forming was, that God breathed into him the                 that is my point, he is made living soul. He is out of
               breath of life  a,nd thus the entire man  became a-living  the  earth  earthy.
                     S O U L             -                                               That point of distinction -must. never be minimized
          I                 It should not escape our notice,-that "this notice of     by  US.  Let  US  not, therefore, be misinterpreted; nor
                     man's becoming "living  sonl"  is recorded to us in misunderstood!
                     Genesis 2 and not in ,Genesis  1. In Genesis 1 we read              When we stress the truth that man'became a"`living
                     of the Monologue of .God in which -He speaks. of how             soul"   we wish to point  out-the analogy between  thea
                     He would rn"ake man after His image and likeness,                animals and man ; both walk on the earth ;, both .eat
     ;               giving him to have dominion over. the fish of the sea            the plants, of the earth; both need the same vitamins ; .'
          :          and over the fowl of the air and over  eyery  livi,ng. both Bave the increated power to reproduce its kind.;


                                                                                                       . .
     ,

                                                 T.HE  %`TANDARD  BE'qRER
                     1                _.                                                                                     3 3 1
  both have male and female, and in both there is more              the first  Adam.. That is the thrust of the saying:
   or less the conscious act i,n reproduction.                      The first man became living soul!
          But there is a great difference. A great diff,erence         . It is in this setting that we must see`Gen.  2:7. It
  there is between the living soul and in  its  spiritual  would emphasize the living soul. It emphasizes the
   constitutitin +n man as compared with the animal.                "living soul" without minimizing the creation after
          That point is strikingly brought out in Genesis 2. God's image as spoken on in `Gen. 1:28. But it empha-
          Let us take notice of this. We read in Gen. 2:18          sizes this nonetheless. And it is this passage that is
  that ",Jehovah ,God said, It is not good that the man here interpreted in I Cor. 15 :45. And it is stated that
  should be alone;, I will make him a, help meet  fol               it was written. Yes, we repeat (see former article)
   (answering to) him." And then `do we read of the .that it was written for our `instruction, admonition,
  forming of Eve immediately after this in verse -19?               correction and `comfort, that we `be thoroughly pre-                    ~
   No, in the verses 19-20 we read of Adam's naming `pared and equipped unto every good work ; that we be
  of the &%irnab, of the-naming of the living creatures             able to go .on rejoicing ever unto the very open grave
   (souls) . And what Adam named them, `that was the                that will swallow us up, without being.  tictiorious
  name, the nuCu?-e of them. And then we read the very. Over us*
  significant notice in Gen. 2:2Q: "And the man gave                    The fruit of the womb in many-living souls is not
  name to all the cattle, and- to the birds of the heavens,         in vain ! Gen.  2:7 and what  .follows in the chapter
  and to every beast of the field; but for man there was is not so, that man is, really like the beast that dies.
  not found a help-meet for- him."                                      For the "living soul" that Adam became is made
          Now what is the logical conclusion? It is not this :      the fit ahode of the Son of God in the Virgin Mary.
  Adam himself saw this significant fact, that in all the           The Holy Ghost came upon her and the power of the
  living soul there was made and female; but in his own Highest overshadowed her and, therefore, that Holy
  case-this was not this? Did he not see that he could              Thing that is born of her is called: God's Son. For
  not thus be the first Adam, he could not thus be "living          unto. us a Child is born, for unto us a Son is given,
  soul" ?                                                         and the government shall ,be upon His shoulders and
          Adam must have a wife. A wife who is first                His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the                 '
  named (Ishah-taken from. man) woman, but who,                     Mighty  ,God,  -the Everlasting Father, the Prince of
  when he, (Adam) sees the Christological perspectives              P e a c e .
  is called Eve, mother of the living. Adam, too, sees                  The Son `of God came into our flesh. -
  t& it is not good. And Jehovah taught Adam th$s                      .He, the Son of `God, came into the "living soul"
  truth through `the naming of the animals. Let it not              of us. He is born from a woman and is made under
  be forgotten, that Eve was taken out of the man, after law. He became like one `of us. A very real man He
  Adam had named the animals.                                       became.
          And let it also.be noticed, that even the first Adam-.       Yet, He did not need to see that there was no help-
  looked for a wife, and God brought her to him with His            meet for `Hiin When -He read the deep inner nature
  -own hand, as a pattern of the unity in marriage of . of the stars of heaven in their constellation and multi-
  man and wife .ever  afterwards. `Here is. not simply              tude, or when he spoke' of the fish of the sea and the
1 the coupling of the animals. Here is the holy matri- fowls of the air, (and what did, He not speak of with
 , mony. And in this matrimony the woman will be out a wisdom that far exceeded the wisdom of Solomon
  of the husband, but man shall be through birth. from              when He saw men and women -joined in marriage) He
  a- woman.'                                                        did. not feel that there was no help-meet for Him.            -
    And the possibilities, the created possibilities of                He is not the `bring,er forth of.the  living-soul. That
  the first Adam, as Adam is that he brings forth was in the first .Adam. And into it He entered. He _
  through Eve the living soul., every living soul of the                     --
                                                                    suffers and dies as a living soul that He may become               .
  h u m a n   r a c e .   -0                                        the life-giving Spirit.
          Higher than -this earthy, and out of the "earth              He comes by the water and the blood.             .
  earthy" neither Adam nor Evecould rise. They could                   He will rise on the third day. And will be the
  not bring firth the form of the, heavenly. All, who are           First-born out of the dead.
 born out of them simply bear the form of the earthy.
          And Adam and Eve bring forth children not sim-               And, by His Holy Spirit, He thus opens for us the
  ply after their .kind. (the genus) but they bring. forth Scriptures `that are written. And the glory of Gen.
  children in their likeness. `Theirs is the image' of God 2 :7 is layed bare in His suffering, death, resurrection,
reflected in their being living soul.                               and final glorification.    .--
    But thus the whole human race comes forth from                     The Second Adam is made the life-giving Spirit!
 `the one blood of Adam. And ' all bear the image of                                 I                   G e o .   G .   L u b b e r s . "
                                                 I                                        \
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        3          3        2                       THEh'STANDARD                                 Bti:A.RER            `e

                                                                                        it must nevertheless 6k remeinbkred' that. also in heaven
                        I N ,   H I S   FEAR
                                                                           .            there will be an instituted chuidh; and the relation of
                                                                                        Christ as Kin0 of His Church will rsmain. everlasting-
                                                                                        .ly. And that royal position of Christ in relation to
             Church Mkmbership l[n Hi& Fear                                             His Church is the very core of the Church as institute.
                                                                                           .Howeyer,  it has pleased Christ that His church in
                                          10.                                           the  world should also be ,instituted,  that His kingly
                                        WHERE?             ;     '                      authority s$ould beconie manifest in the church in the
                                                                                        world. The exalte'd Lord, as He ascended up 011 high,
     . Introduction.                                                                    led the captivity captive and gave gifts unto men  ;
             In this .-article `ye begin otir discussion of a new                       and He "gave some  apostles  ; and some, prophets  ;
       question under our main theme of "Church Member-                                 and somg, evgngc$ist.F ;:and some, pastors and teachers ;
       ship in His Fear". Thus far we have discussed thk                                For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
       implications of church membership as such, emphasiz-                             ministry, for the edifying of the body of ChVist."`Eph.
       ing the calling of the believer with regard' to the 4 :11-X This- truth, is also iplied in the admonition
       church to which he belongs. We have not mentioned                                of the apostle Paul to the elders at Ephesus: "Take
       directly the matter of to what church `he belongs.                               heed therefore unto yours@es, and to all the flock,
       We might, perhaps, have discussed this latter question                           over the ,which the Holy Ghost hath made you over-
       first quite properly, although fdr various, reasons we- seers, to feed the church -of God, which he hath pur-
       have left it until now. For underlying al1 our previous' chased with his mown blood." Acts 20 :28. And many
       discussions has been the supposition that: we did b&                             other-  passages of `Holy Writ might be adduced which,
       long to some certain congregatiop.  ' And- underlying while" they do not directly teach the i&titution of the
       th& supp&ition has been the more fundamental sup-                                church, nevertheless by their mention of the various.
       position that. the church as a gathering becomes mani-                           offices presuppose this institution of the  chur&,:,,~y
       fest in  .various gatherings. There is` not merely an                            Christ thrbugh His apostles.. And thus it was historic-
       holy catholic church consisting of the gathering of the -ally, that while  Eccording  to the heed of  the early
       sum-total of all children of God as believe?s  indi+iduac                        church there were special gifts and offices, such as
       ly,  b& the body of our  L)ord  jesus Clirist is funda-                          that of tongues, prophecy, healing,  Fyangelism,   .a11
       mentally a gathering ; and therefore when it becdmes                             under the guidance; of the apostolic authority, the
       manifest in the world, it becomes manifest' in its ghurch soon appeared in the form of  it,s permanent
       n&ure of being a gathering. Wherever, then, a_group                              inktitution,  with its'so-called ordinary offices of minis-
        of believers gathers in. the- name of the Lord  Jesus,                          ters, elders, and deacpns.
       there you have the visible manifestation of the bbdy                                `There can be no question about it, therefore, that '
       of Christ as a congregation.                                        I .
                                                                      >                 th.e church as  instjtute  `is not an invention of man,
             But that is not all.                                                       something which is non-essential and which may be
             .It is also the will of Christ that this gathering. of                     lightly abolished, but that. it is Christ-ordained, and
       believers should become `manifest as' a zueU-o~&&;cZ~ that through this form He governs, defends, and pre=
        and orgaqized  gathering, as an institute. This latter                          serves His church. in the world.
        element is also ali import& one in any description of                            This underlying principle is again important, of
       the manifestation of the church .on earth. Just as -you                          course, with respect to all that we have written pre-
        can distinguish betweeiz the body and organism of a                             vio&ly about the activity of our church membership
       %ation  on the onechand,  and its instituted government                          or its inactivity. And it simply underscores the f&et
      6n the other,  so!,we  must distinguish between the `that the, Christian will not think lightly of his church
_       spiritual organism of. the church, the' `gathering of. membership. At the same .time, `inoreover,  this Ijrin-
        believers and th.eir .dhildren,  aild its institute; by which                   ciple is the condemtiation;of  all fly-byitiight, crusading,
        it `pleases Christ to gather, preserve, and gove<n His                          revivalistic, un- and  inter-denominatibtial  movements
        church` in the world, wnd through which the church                              tihich usurp the. authority atid `calling of the instituted
        as a whole functions... :                                                       church,' atid of  those0 who follow and support such
              This organized and well-ordered form of the c&n+ch ' movements. It implies that the work of the ministry
        is not a mere accident. Just as it is in principle true                         of th6 `Wprd;  of all mission endeavor, of- theological.
        that the church. is a gathering and therefore must be-                          training, and of whatever. else belongs to the ministry
       `come manifest was a gathering on earth, so, it is in                            of the Word in the wider sense, belongs to the church
        principle true that the church is an in&tuted chu?ch,                           ,as' institute and to no one else., And it is our calling
        and hence must' be&me manifest as such On earth.                                as members of His church to recognize this and act
      . While the various institutions of the church here on                            accordingly. And to  .act accordingly means that we
        earth wiil vanish when the church is finally- perfected,                        shall, shun, and disdain. to support such movements' iti
                                                   r  '

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                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           333

     any way. When we do so, we d6 not shun the cause             as sovereign predestination, irresistible grace, total
     of Christ, but, we tiaintain it.                             depravity, infant baptism, the sacrament, of  corn+
         However,  from this principle arises another ques-       munion, the second coming of Christ. The unity  df
     tion. For the fact is that there are many cliurches in       the church is by no means apparent in the manifesta-
     the world. This is true, first of all, because of the        tion of the church in the -world ; instead the -church
     limitations of locality: it is simply impossible for all     seems to be irreparably divided.
     the believers and their children to be gathered in' one          And what must we say about all this? What must'
     congregation. Besides, there are differences in race,        bk our attitude as members of a certain congregation
     color, nationality, language,-all of which  req&e that       and a certain denomihation  .over against all the others ?.
     the church shall be manifest not in one but in many          Is this membership simply a matter of individual taste
     instituted congregtitions.                                   and preference? Does it matter little where we are
        But that is not the biggest difficulty.                   members? Does a change in membership carry wit&
        There are also differences between one church and         it no responsibility? Is there any standard upon which
     another that pertain to the very essence of the church.      I can base my decision and choice?
     There are matters of doctrine and confession, matters
     of church government and  form: of worship. And it               Before this question the believer must certainly
     is a well-known fact that these differences have multi-      stand all the days of his life as member of a certain
     plied instead of diminishing, especially since the period    congregation. And it may not remain merely a ques-
     of the Reformation. Since the time when the Romish           tion for him. Standing before the question, he must
     church was toppled from its all dominating position          al'so give and be able to give `a firm and clear answer.
     on the ecclesiastical scene, and the principle was clear-    And it -is only .when he sees the vital issue involved in
     ly announced that, the conscience of the believer could      his membership that he will ever be feithful in his life
     be bound by the Word of God only in last instance,           as member of the ch,urch.'
     so that the church was liberated.from the dictates of                                            H. C. Hoeksema.
     a supposed successor of. Peter, freed from the killing
     uriiformity of a dead religion, and set at liberty from
     the office-denying bondage of the hierarchy,-since
     that time denominations of all kinds and flying under
     various flags have multiplied, and hundreds of con-
     fessions have been composed, adopted, and i< turn
     denied and opposed.
        Such a scene the Christian beholds in the ec&esi-         Technically Correct, Yet Irregular?
     astical world today.
        And if he does not face the concrete question,                In the March 15 issue of. the Standard B'earer the
     "Where must I join?" he certainly does nevertheless          Rev. Hofman, writing about the Declaration of Prin-
     face the task of giving account to himself before God        ciples,  makes  the following statement: -"But apart
     of his membership -in the church to which he belongs.        from this it may even be granted  @at the  Declara-
`He certainly in that sense always confronts the sues-
.                                                                 tion is Church-politically proper before our Churches.
     tlon, "To what church must I belong?" He must al- ' Techtiically, perhaps, it is true that no* rule of our
     ways be able to account for the fact that he is here,        Church Order has been violated. But certainly the
     and not there. In the wider sense, the. child of God         procedure is highly irregular." knd a little further
     stands. before this duty with regard to every existing       he writes: "Therefore., even though it may be granted '
     denomination,' even thbugh in the narrower sense he          that  th& Declaration is Church-politically  proier, it
     stands before this calling especially with regard to         can hardly be said that the way it came was regular,
     those churches with which he comes into contact: and         but, on the contrary, quite ir+reguZar."
     in the narrowest sense with regard to those churches
     in khich he had his origin historically.      '                  `This reasoning is ,not only incorrect with regard to
        Hence, even if. we leave out of view those who            the  matter of the Declaration, but it is principally
     openly reptidiate  the Scriptures ai the infallible Word     wrong; and therefore dangerous for our ecclesiastical
     of God and deny the very fundamentals of Christian-          life,  alid destructive- of all good order.  It, involves,
     ity, such as' the trinity, the divinity of Christ, the       though from a slightly different viewpoint, an error
     atonement through the blood of Christ, and the resur-        which frequently arises, namely, the slighting of tech-
     rection, there is still enough difference in doctrine and    nicalities.
     confession, in government and worship, to make it im-            A little  atialization will make this clear. "Tech-
     possible for all these churches to live ,together under      nically correct" can only mean : adcording to the rules{
     one roof. Often they oppose each other  6ti such truths      in this case,  ihe  rules of Reformed Church Order. .


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    334.                                                      '  `- `T H E .   :STANDA'&D-  B E A R E R                          _

    kev. Hofmdn `recogfiizes this' fact when he grants that
    the D&lara$on  is church politically proper. But ivhat                                           :
    then is the meaning of the terms regutir and &?e@ar?                                                            P E R I S C O P E   .
    They are derived from the Latin r&u& which `means
"r&":             Hence,  tile $erm re&uZar means : according0 to Chwrkh  Membephip in the U.S.A.  `I                                               .
    +le.  -And the t&m  &reguZaar  means: not according
_  ' to rule. To say, then, that something  iS technically                                                From our daily newspaper we-glean the following:
    correct, yet irregular is a plain contradiction in terms.                                             "Church membership increased 51.5 percent while
         With regard to the Declaration, `then, it must- also                                       the nation's population increased only an estimated 30
   . be clear that if from~,a church-political point of siew                                        percent between 1926 and 1949, the National Council
    it is "technically correct", that is certainly one of the                                       of Churches reported today.
    grounds  for its adoption, &en though.it is not the only
    one.        If it were technically incorrect, as  ha% been                                            "The council said, `American Church membership
   averred  by. some, then it certainly could never be                                              is at an all time high, not only in terms of actual
    adopted. One of the inherent grounds for the adop-                                              numbers but in proportion to the population.'
    tion. of anything by an ecclesiastical bbdy .must always                                              "A council survey for the 24-year period showed
    be that it is technically correct church politically,.                                          that total membership of religious b,odies,  including
         And,. apart now from. the question of the Decldra-                                         a  liumber of: eastern  .orth'odox churches rose from
    tion, that principle shbuld alway's be carefully main-                                          53,204,413  in  ,I 1926 to  80,682,575,  or more than 54
    tained.                                                                       _-                percent of the.total  population in 1949.
         We should tiot slightingly refer to technicalities,                                          "Despite the upsurge, `there are also more people
    as though they `may be lightly passed dver, in favor of                                         not on the church rolls than ever before,' Dr. Benson
    more important things. The underlying reason for                                                Y: Landis, .associate dir.e&tor  of the council's. &es&arch
    this- is the fact that form and essence, rules and,truth                                        tind survey departnient  said.
    are inseparably connecte'd.                                                                           "The council, said its suEvey tabulated membership
         For a very enlightening editorial on this score, I                                         bf 54 religious groups  $1 with membership over 50,000.
    r.efer both Rev. HofmanG,and our readers to Vol. 19,                                            Combined these  groups  aCcount for about 97 percent
  p.  52, of  our,  Stanclnrcl   Bearer: "The Importance of                                         of total church membership in the. U.S., the report
    Technicalities."                                                                                said. `-
         Techwicakly  correct,  yet  irre&ar in an inherent                                               "Protestant groups, addidg 16,954,322 new mem-
    impossibility.                                                      `,
                            I,                                                                      bers for a 56 percent growth, showed the largest per-
                                                               H. C. Hoeksema..                     centage gain. But the Roman Catholic church, which
                                                                                                    increased by 9,005,305  for 2 48.4 percent rise showed
                                                                                                    the largest single incr.ease in membership among the
                                                                                                    three  majo? faiths.
                 .'                                                     j.              ;`                                                   i'
                                                                                                          ."Jewish  copgregations increased by 918,758 Fern?
                                                                                                    bers for a 22.5 percent rise.     ;
                                        -                -                                                "Among the Protestant denominations, the South-
                                                                                                    ern Baptist made the largest increase with 3,236,887.
                                                                                                    Methodists were second with  2,031,927,. the National
         . .           .   .                     .-                                                 Baptist Cdnvention U@.A.,  Inc., third. with 1,188,583
                                                                                                    and the United Lutheran )Church of America Fourth
                                                                                                    ,$vith  7 3 8 , 2 2 9 .
                                  IN             iWEjH!ORIAM            '
                                  .>                                                                      "Eleven Protestant groups surveyed reported. 1,000,
      The  ZIolland   Ladles.  Aid of the Protestant  `RefoFmed   Church                            000 or more membership. Of these five averaged 85.3
    of Redlands, Califorhia, hereby.  wishes ,to express the!: . . sincere                          percent increase : The Southern Baptist Convention,
    sympathy for. our beloved pastor, Rev. Vermeer and family, .in                                  the national Baptist Convention U. ?.A.,.  Inc., the Mis-
    their dee$  sorrow fn the sudden death of their daughter                             ,_         souri Synod of the Lutheran  Church, The United
                       i                                                                            Lutheran Chtirch in America and'the African Metho-
                                        JEAN                                                   :
                                                                  `
                                                                   ,                                dist .Episcopal  Church.
      May the God of all' grace ancl comfort be ,near  unto `the&  and                                    "Landis says that~ the great&t .perce&age  growth
    may they rejoice in the knowledge that Jean is'with her Lord.                                   was aniong the smaller sects and denominations which
                                                       Mrs. P.  `Boss,   Vice  P&s.                 are `characterized by an intense evangelistic spirit and
                                                       Mrs. P. Kooiman, Sec'y.                      general& teach the, second coming' of  Christ,'


                                                        T H E , .             STA'.NbARD  B E A R E R                                                            ,335
                                                                     .c  `_  _a'...  `..!
 ^.
       "` `Once thought of ai ippealing especially to the                                    into petty bickering oder personalities,,  but..to simply
 socially disadvantaged,' he said, `they are now tippar-                                     ignore  the truth would neither be wise no?~ good: For
  ently bririging  into their ranks large numbers of the that .which.` separates the churches is the conviction
  "comfortable" portion. of the population.' `.                                              concerning the truth atid to deny that conviction is to
       "The survey showed the. Churck of God in Christ deny  the.$ruth. Any superficial union on the basis of
 hacl the high& percent increase in the group, increas-                                      expediency' and  f'crisis" at the  expense of the  truth...
  ing from 30,263 in 1926 to 240,530 in 1940, a percent                                      must certainly be refused. It promotes only the ca,use
  r i s e   o f   1 0 2 5 . 2 . "            '                  .                            of unbelief.
                             .
       Interesting as these figuxes .are we may well place                                          The Presid&t's advise should'not be followed !
  a question ma&k  behind them if they are'to be judged                                             \
  from the viewpoint of true spiritual worth.' ,This .in                                                                        :g     :g     .&    i-6
                                                                                              `_                  r

 ' the first place because-they were taken'by t& `National
  Council of Churches: and everyone knows that they                                          Tie' Blood of Martyrs the Seecl of, the Church.
  include the rankest of modernists. In the second place                                             The above heading has long been considered truth.
this is. true because is g&s no breaking d&&i of the                                         True it is from: history that persecution itself seemed
 , group into ol"thodox  and modern;in fact simply lumps                                     r$&er to stimulate than to discourage the spread of
  all together including Roman: Catholics,  J.ews,  and                                      the gospel.'                 :             .' .
Prote$tants of every  hu,e, and says nothing  bf  faith-                                     1: `.That .the devil also has learned this .lesson. and the
  only membership. Finally as far .is we are concerned                                       "beast" with him is becoming increasing evident. I We
  it is ,interes$ing  $0 note that as Protestant Reformed                                    were remin`ded  of this by an article in the last ,"Pres-
  we belong to the 3.percent  not even tabulated, @cause                                     byterian Guardian."
 `we number less than 50,obO.                            ._                                         ,According  to this. article Dr. `Tibor Csikesz, p&&or
       However it is interesting to note that 54 percent  of                                 of the :Hungarian Evangelical and Reformed Church
  the population of "Christian" America belohgs.to  some                                     iii Phoenixville;  Penn. was the speaker at the evening
  church., It would be interesting to discover how many                                      meeting of the Alumni Homecoming of -the Westmin-
  of those included iti the 54 percent were orthodox, con-                                   stei*,  Seminary.
  fessing, children of  ,God.                It does however indicate
  once again the reality of'the prbphecies  of the bobk of                                          .Dr. Csikesz  ,told  of- the  prog?essive  inv&sion of
  Revel&ion concerning the false church.                                                     church life by the Communist government, (this con-
                                                                                             cerns the Reformed Church of Hungary which. is now
       And how must we evaluate the phenomenal growth                                        unde? Communist control-J.H.) and  .?f how leaders
  of the "smaller sects". Is it to be explained from the                                     of the church, once thought to be strongly conserva-
  fact that  tihe older denominations  : have  beGcome  so                                   tive, have compromised with the government. under
  modern that they are turned frolti in disgust ?. Is this                                   the necessity of securing a living. This procedure was
  a sign that God still has His%rue people heie who'turn                                     ratiorialized by the idea df repentance-that the church
  to the comparatively more sound "smaller sects"?  9r                                       had been- too Edntangled with capitalism in the past, and
is it a sign that the cause of God ii almost extihc't in                                     of faithlthat the church exists in the world, and must
  the  .U.S.A. as, far as the nominal church world is                                        continue so to exist, whatever sort the world may be.
concerned?                                                                                               "At first the general attitude, according to Dr.
                                             `:g  :>            :
                                  :j:  $2                                                    Csikesz, was  on& of live and let live. But then the
                                                                                             government came to demand that the church cooperate
                                                                                             with it, and finall? demanded that the church be en-
  President Truman's A,dvice Shbuld Not Be Followed!                                         thusiastic and excited about cooperating with it.
       Last week President Truman declared that things                                         * "There is a certain amount of underground opposi-
  like "Denominational quarrels" ought to  be forgotten                                      tion to, the communist rule on the part of the Christian
  "in this tini6 of crisis;"                                                                 people, but how much is uncertain.                            The speak&
       The President was speaking to a group of `editors                                     pointed out, in .answe'r  to queatiotis, .that martyrdom is
  reprksenting the Associated Church press who ' g&h-                                        ~actually~   clifficult  `in Hungary-at least the' sort  of
  er'ed at thk White House.                                                                  maftyrdom which rre-ceives utter&&i.. (We underscore,
       "Petty things, should- be f orgott&i; denoniinational                                 J.H.) . . `When Christian people or' leader's appear'.too
  quarrels should be  overlook&d,`j he  ,said.  H<.`fu?ther                                  streiiuous.  in their .opposition,  they simply disappear.
  told the group that he needed its aid to mob&e the                                         No.:,chance  is, g$en tl@m to arouse .a pu.blic following
 `.morai  fore& of `the world against the iinmdral forces.
         _                                                                                   oreven  .tq attract attention.".
       Now we `&&ld not deny that sometim.e$  deiomina-                                                  If. there is no "blood of the martyrs" visible there
  tional quarrels degenerate, due to man's sinf@n.e&s,                                       see&s  to be no $eed" of the church. Undoubtedly the


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                                                                      --                                           --___--__rJi                               &
                                                                                   ------------               -                                 : >
              336                                               - T H E .   STA.NDARD  B E A R E R                                      .
                         .-
             day is' fast' gpproaching in which "the two witnesses                                                              ATTENTION  !                       -
             shall be killed." Rey. 11.                                                                     , SOLDIERS  `& SAILORS
                                        :j:  :i:    :i:  :i:                                  Our Missionary, Rev. A. Cammenga, would like to
        f-                                                                                  obtain the names and adclresses  of our military men.in
             Here  ancl  Theye.                                                             the camps `and  poi%s of the State of  Washingtqn.
             -The McCollum dkcision to be c&ied. to its extreme?                            Since he is located in the vicinity of several of these
             The Christian Century reports that "Frank C. Hughes,,                          camps and ports,it is possib1.e  that he can contact oilr '
             an avowed atheist ha! filed a complaint against "the servicemen , in this area and help provide ,for their
        `University of Minnesota, charging it with wholesale                                spiritual needs. Kindly send all such names ancl ad-
             violation of the Constitution in aiding campus religious                       dresses          to:-          -
             activities. Mr. Hughes, . . . an alumnus Bays he in-                                                                             Rev. A. Cammenga
.  _         tends to fight his case to the Supreme `Court and hopes                                                                          Box 481
             for a decision similar to that handed in the McCollum                                                                           ~- Sumas, Washington,
             case but this time affecting higher education."                                  If any of our servicemen are at any time. able to
                                                                                            attend our seryices on Sunday in Lynden, Washington,
   -Spain  a n d   t h e   G b s p e l :                                                    we shall ,be happy. to provide transportation informa-
                    Spanish police have ordered a Cuban citizen who                         tion and lodging. Writerto the above address or phone
             was working as a Protestant Missionary there to leave                          992, Sumas, Washington.                                     ,I
             the country at once. The Spanish government forbids
             ,Protestants  frond making any effort to convert Roman
             Catholics to the Protestant faith.                                                                                  -               -

             -Chile and Education :
                    In Chile a new religious bill has beeh passed which
             makes Roman Catholic teaching obligatory in schools.                                                               - PR-AYER
             under state control.                                                                           For a Loved One  1~ the Service  _                                 .

             -Greece and Education :                                                                   0 Lord, thou God in heaven above
                    In Greece a private Christian School was forbidden                                 .&ook  down upon me in thy love                                   :,
             to give instr&tion  and Its partially completed building                                  Hear this suppliant's hmnble.  plea
        abandbned. It was insisted by the government that no                                           And iti mercy answer me.
             provisions weTe  allowed by the government for such                                       _
             private education of a religious nature. s                      ".        .              Thou knowest my dear one, far from-home
                                                                                                       Thou se'est him, wher'e? he roam
             -Tibet :                                                                                  On land, in air, or on the sea
                    By the "Wachter" we are informed that the whole                                    His way is truly. known to thee.
             Bible is in the process of being printed in the Tibetan                             `
             language.                                                                                 In daigers great he oft may &and
                                                                       J. Howerzyl.  -                 Keep him Lord,"in thine own hand
                                                                                                      Keep him f?oti harm and from all sin
                                                                                                       From harm without, from sin within.
                               _t     -:-

              d                                                                                       Let thy grace upon him rest                                  .,
                                      IN  MEMORIAM                                                     His body guard, his spirit bless  _                                     '
                   The Consistory of the girst Prot. ReExmed  Church of Grand                          And when thine own will it may be
             Rapids, Michigan, expresses sincere sympathy to Rev. H. De                                ReturD  him safely home to  .me.
             Wolf in the death of  his father, and also to Elder H. Knott in                                          _
             &e death of his sister, Mrs. J. Kerkstra.                                                 Then help me Lord, and give me g?ace
                                                                                                       To bow within thy holy place                                       .
                   May our heavenly Father comfort the bereaved and may we                             And give true thanks and praise to thee
             at all times  put our trust in `Him.
        \                                                                                              For mercies great to him  atid me.
                                                       H. Hoeksema, Pres.
                                                       J. M,. Faber, Sec'y.                                                           -From Banner of Truth.


                    b


