VOLUME XXVII                                          May 15, 1951  - Grand Rapids,  Mich.                                     NUMBER 16

                                                                                  En de  Heere- zal hun een voorbeeld geven van de  -
           MEDIT'ATION                                                    dienende liefde van Jezus : Hij  ,zal een.  armen  blinden                     '
                                                                          man  genezen.                                                        `.  ._
                                                                                  D-eze geschiedenis  speel&  zich af een week  voor
     De  ,Genezing  Van  Bartimeus'                                       Jeztis' kruisdood. En de schaduwen van al de smarten
                                                                          van Jezus liggen  ?p `Zijn aangezicht.
                "En zij kwamen te Jericho. En als  Hij: en Zijne            H i j   w o r d t   b e s c h r e v e n   als  buitefi-gewoon  .vastbe-
              discipelen, en eene groote  s&are, van ,&&ho  uit-          raden zooals Hij voortschrijdt qaar  Jeruzaiem.                      Hij
             ging, zat de zoon van Timeus,  Bar-timeui'zle  blinde,       weet wat Hem daar  wabht. En Zijne  jongeren hebben
              aan  den weg, bedelende. En hoorende dat het Jezus
              de Nazarener was, begon hij te roepen en te zeggen:         het  gezien, want we lezen, dat  .zij  ."verbaasd"  waren
              Jezus, gij Zone Davids, ontferm U mijner! En velen          `en dat zij Hem  bolgden.
             b.estrtiften hem, opdat hij  zwijg&n zoude;  niaar  hij
             riep  zo0vee.l  te meer: Gij Zbne Davids, ontferm U                  Hij iette Zijn  aangezicht  riaar Jeruzalem, den dood
             mijner!      En Jezus stilstaande, zeide dat men hem         tegemoet. En het  vieeselijke kruis  wierp zijn  scha-
             roepen  zoude, en zij (riepen  ,den 1blinde;zeggende  tot
             hem: Heb goedenmoed;  sta op, Hij roept u. En hij            duw  eve? dat vastberaden gelaat van Jezus.                           . ..:
             zijnen mantel afgeworpen hebbende,  stand op en
             kwam tot Jezus. En Jezus antwoordende, zeide tot                                       _  ~Sc-t..9
              hem: Wat wilt gij dat Ik u doen zal ? Eli de blinde
             zeide tot.Hem: Rabboni, dat ik ziende rnag worden;                   W'e  zoudeti.zoa.   zeggen,: dat kruis zou  ,Hem in dier
             En  Jezus  zeide tot hem: Ga  henen,  uw geloof heeft        mate  v&vullen;:`dat  Hij geen  .tijd zou hebben  Goor
             u behouden. En terstond werd hij ziende, en volgde
             Jezus op  deli   `weg."                                      kleinigheden.  Hij.zal  tech geen tijd  hebben.  vbor  eei
                                                    Markus   10:46-52.    schreeuwenden   b e d e l a a r .   '
     Er  is een  schril contrast in het  verband* van  dezen               i De vreeselijke  angsten die  aan `t komen  &jn, en
tek&.              `..                                                    de groote  hgerlijkheid daarna volgende zal  He&  ge-
     Johannes  en  Jacobus  *waren tot Jezus  .gekoinen en                heel en al vervullen.
-hadden Hem gevraagd of zij mochten zitten  clc  "  .,                       .En'  d a a r o m :   Z w i j g   s t i l ,   Bartimei-is!   D e   Heeie         ,'
aan Zijne  rechterhand en de andere  aan Zijne  linker-                   heeft geen tijd voor  ,u!
hand, wanneer- de Heere  ?ou  gekomen zijq  .ip  -Zijne                           Maar neen : Jezus  stoyd stil. Hij had een  stem.  e
                                                                                                                                                    ~
heerli j kheid.                                               :-,         gehooyd:
     Toen  waren de  .andere tien zeer boos geworden. E n                  ~. Het  `was een  blind6  bedelaar,  Bartimeiis  genaamd.
in de  woord& van  onzen tekst zien -we den  Zoo-n                        Die man had  vati Jezus gehoord. Hij had het hooren  _
de? menschen die  Zijq  heerlijk.  werk volbrengt  :'  I$j                vektellen hoe die  woxiderlijke Rabbi van  Nazar@h velen,
geneest den  bli`nde.                                                     o zoo velen  genezen had van alle hunne smarten en
 . De  He&e had dan ook die twee van Zijne jongeren                       qllenden,
ernstiglijk'berispt. Hij had hen gewezen op de  ftinda-                           cat is zeer duidelijk uit  .d&n tekst.  Toen  deze*
menteeie wet des  Koninkrijks:   "Doch.  alzoo zal het                    blipde man het geluid.van  eeYi groote  schare. hoorde
onder  u niet zijn; maar zoo wie onder  u  $$qPt  zal  wil-               deed hij  .navraag  aan, de omstanders,  en ontving het
len  worden, die zal uw  dienaar'zijn."                                   antwoord, dat Jezus van Nazareth voorbijging. Dat
    Dat  is'de wet des Koninkrijks : door  groote  nederigi               was genoeg voor hem  OF hem  aan `t  l'oepen te zet-
heid tot verhooging.            Juist' andersom dan het er in             t&x.
de wereld naar toegaat. Daar  heerschen de  grooten                               Dtis die man had van Jezus gehoord, en ook van
e n   o e f e n e n   macht  uit  o v e r   bet  v o l k .                Zijrie wondere  daden,  .anders  ,kunneh we dat  aan:

                                                                                                                    .h


     0
                        362                                                     THE  sTANDfuiD   BEARER,
                       hbudende  roepen  .van dien  b&den man  niei  vkrkla-                                         MaC het geschrei van  &5n  deu' gekenden op den
                        ren.           1                                                                   weg naar- het  kruis-doet Hem  sfilstaan.              Het gebed
                           . En, let  er  oi, dat  toen  de  sc@re  hem bestrafte en  ; des Geestes  weerklotik op  .dien  weg,, en Jezus  gehoor-
                        tot hem zeide,  aat  .hij  $e$Heere Jezus met rust zou  * zaamt.                                                         .-
                        laten,  begon hij  po&  luider  $e  roepen : Gij Zone Davids,                          Hij-hoort, achter *en in dien  kreet van  B&time&
            ontferm  U   m i j n e r   !   ;`;;                     2 .                                    het gebed van Zijn Vader in' de hemelen. Wacht
                            .-Die: man had  v$$  d&  Gonderdaden  van Jezus ge-                            wereld ! Wacht Jood ! Wacht Rome ! Wacht kruis !
          '  hoard, `E n   bet-  mo&  *on5  `b$niet   o n t g a a n ,   d a t   d e z e
                                               ._                                                          Ik heb werk  te  doen op weg naar Jeruzalem.
                        blind@:  @n  He?,  ,.l$j  _  $$q  schoonen naam van Zone
                      Davids aanroept.  .-Da.a$t `blinkt  :zijn  geloof. Straks                                                .'     x    G-a--
                        daar  `&ger  over;  i-`"--;  .;:-,  :.  5.  ., .
                                     .`..I __  '                                           Q                        6  Ge  -kunt U voorstellen,  dat er veel leven op den
                                                               me-2                                        weg was : er  waren vele schuifelende voeten, en  er
                                                                                                           waren vele  stemmen der menigte die  zich  op. den  weg
                          Maar de  H&ere Jezus  sto.nd `stil.                        L_                                                    .
                                                                                                           verdrongen.,
                            `SGij hebt zeker  we1 eens van dat  -schoone  lied  ge-                                 Maar  de stem van  &5n bidder doet Hem  stilstaan.
                 .     hool:d: Jezus van Nazareth g&at voorbij !? Die  dich-                                         Er is  .een  o%eaan  van groot geluid  ,in  ,de wereld in
                       ,ter van dat lied maakte  etin groote fout  toen hij  alzoo                         alle  tijden:  Matir temidden van dien  oceaan van geluid
                       , d i c h t t e .                                                                   hoort Hij mijn stem!
                               Hij had de hoofdlijnen van dat lied  moeten  maken:                                   Hoe wonderlijk en hoe groot. Dan  staat  God  stil
                        Jezus van Nazareth stond stil! Want. gij zult mij                                  en  dan  komt  Hij  t-at  mij. En dan schijnt het alsof
                        allen  tpesteqmen,  -dat het  feit dat Jezus stilstond op                          alles  wachten  meet, alsof we met zijn  `tweegn zijn in
                        den weg het groote  heil voor  Bart$eiis  introduceert.                                                                                         ,
                                                                                                           het  grobte  Heelal.
                               Bovendien,  een Jeius die  vo'orbijgaat  is een  vreese-                              En  266 is het met elk gebed en met  elken  waren
                        lijke  waarheid.  &ls ik het versje  hoOY'  zingen,. dan, biddel".
                        gaat er een siddering door mijn  leden.                                                      O,,`dit'  w&s een  gebecl van  d&n Heiligen Geest. E r
                         Een Jezus die  voorbijgaat is de  he1 voor ontelbare .is geen twijfel  aan. Niets minder kan Jezus  -stil  doen
                        millioenen. Maar  een Jezus  die.&ilstaat om naar het staan. En wat een kracht blijkt uit  die.  bede. De
                        gebed van  Zijn volk te  luisteren is  ,de  hemel.'                                drang des Heiligen Geestes zit achter het verlangen
                               Da; is het  schooire in deze geschiedenis.                                  van den blinde.
                          E n   z o o :   J e z u s   s t o n d   s t i l   dp  d e n   w e g .                      ,Luistert slechts : Gij Zone Davids !
                            Juist  d a t   genezen van dien  blinden man  ii Zijn                                    Hij zag in. Jezus den beloofden' Messias.  -Dat is
                        versterking  op den weg. vat was  Zijn  :&en en  drin'-                             overduidelijk. En  daarom  hoqrt Jezus dan ook. En
                        ken. Tot dat  doe1 was Hij in de wereld  gekomen.                                  staat stil.
                        D e z e   Bartimeiis   w a s   BBn  v a n   d e   g$kenden  d e s                            En niemand behoefde  te lijden vanwege  dat  stil-
                        Vaders  .die  a&n den Zoon gegeven  baren met het bevel,                            staan  van" Jezus en van God; Als gij druk zijt met
                        dat Hij er niet  BQn van  .zou verliezen.  ,En als temid- . God  `en` Hij met U door den Heiligen  <Gee& in Uw bid-
                        den van het groote  1a;waai der wereld de stem van                                  den,  dsin lijdt niemand daardoor. Het  toont  hoe groot
                        6.5, dier  gek'enden weerkiinkt  dan hoort  JezuS en  her-                         Uw God en  Zaligmake?  zijn.
                        `kept `de  stem die geboren  wordt  uit de genade Gods.
     h                      Wat een groote kracht ligt  ey in het verlangen om                                       Niet  &5n  roe& ooit  tevergeefs.  Al die duizend,
                        door Jezus  genezen  te  word&. Wat ontzettende kracht                              duizend  samen  roept de Heer bij hunne namen en niet
                        -1igt er in het gebed van  `een  rechtvaardige..                                    &n ontglipt  Zijti oog!
                                 Geen duivel of  macht  der  he1 kan Jezus  doen  stil-                        : Hebt ge dat liedje  we1 eens  hoore?  zinge:?
                       staan op den weg naar het  kruis. Teg'en  iedere pogihg
                      om Hem  van dat  pad"af te  voeren of te  doen  aarz.elen                             -  ~                           .-t/3
                        op den weg naar het kruis zou Jezus  &zegt hebben:                                           Hier is een les voor ons, mijn beste  vrienden. God
                        La& af !            Ga& opzij ! Ik moet van  deze  a&de  ver-
                        hoogd worden !-                                         ..,  `.                     iegt tot Zijn volk: Houdt  aan in het gebed. Als  blinde
                                                                                                            Bartiqe& geen  sticces heeft  bij zijn eerste  roepen en.
                           Indien geliefde  v&enden  getraclit  zoudell  hebben                             schreien,  k;oept hij des te luider om Jezus. Hij blijft
                        om Hem  van dat kruis  ter-ug te  houben,  d&n zou  Hij                             roepen  oak dan  watineer men: hem toeroept om  tech
                        hen  bestraft hebben. Denkt  `bier  aan  Petq+:  Dat,zal                           .op te houden. Er,staat in, den tekst, dat men hem  be-
                        U geenszins` geschieden, Heere !                                                    strafte. Hoe  tireed is de mensch der  zonde.  Dat,is
                                 En  dan  zegt.  Jezus, perontwaardigd : Ga  aqhter  mij' ons  deel  i.n den tekst. Het zet onze onverschilligheid
           .            ,Satanas!           Gij  zijt"@ij  eep aanstoot!
                                                       ..:     :                                ,         , en onaandoenlijkheid in het  licht. 0, als wij zelf in de
                                                                                                                          8                     .I  -
                                                     `3.'                                            _
                                                                           i
.


                                         _~  THE.  -STANDA:RD   BEAFitiR                                         1                363

      narigheid zitten, als we zelf in angst en vertwijfeling         maar nemen naar  fiartelust. Het is veilig  bm hem. nu
      geen uitzicht meer hebben, dan hebben  we.groot  &ede-          toe te laten, want het is duidelijk, dat hij van Jezus
      lijden met onsielf. Maar  wi& is met ontferming  be-            bet ware  geloof ontvangen had. En Jezus weet het
      wogen over den  naaste? We  hooren, in de verte van             oak. En daarom kan  Jezvs hem gerust laten  kiezexi.
      duizknden  & duizenden die vallen, sterven, sneuvelen,          Indien waarachtig geloof  ens deel is, en wanneer we
      vreeselijke pijnen  moeten lijden, en wat uitwerking            i%t dat geloof  leven en vragen  `en. smeeken en bidden,
      -heeft het op ons van nature  harde en  ongevo&ge hart?         dan kan Jezus ons gerust laten kiezen, want dan gaan
      Gij hebt het antwoord alreede gegeven.  He{ is ons              we zekerlijk het goede  b,egeeren. Ziet het in Salomo.
      `opgeschreven in dezen tekst : we bestraffen den  armen         Hij  :vroeg niet om rijkdom of eer, de  overwinning van
      Bartimeiis. Houdt  tech stil  man! Maakt  tech zoo'n            zijn@  ,vijanden of iets  .dergelijks. Hij vroeg om de
      kabaal niet! Laat Jezus  tech  met rust. Hij heeft  we1         deugd  :Gods der wijsheid, opdat hij het  yolk van God,
      wgt anders te  doeri dan om  Zich te storen  aan `een           zou mogen kunnen regeeren tot lof van God. En  dat
      arm-en bedelaar.                                                hij zulks deed komt vanwege  hkt geloof. Als het  waar-'
           Wat dan? Wel, wij  moeten een arm, een `hand en            achtig geloof ons  deel' is en werkt, dan zorgt  ,God er
      een vdet zijn voor den ellendige. Dat`toont Jezus door          Zelf voor, dat we het goede kiezen.                                .
      Zijn stilstaan, door het tot  Zich  roepen van dezen  ellen-       Hoe dat zit?  Wel, het is al Gods  eigen  we& HG'
      dige, en door Zijn  vraag:  .wat wilt  &j dat Ik u  doen        wil slechts in Zijn eigen werk verheerlijkt  worden.
      zal? Een, les voor ons om  te luisteren naar  d,en kreet                                 ,      0  -
      van den ellendige. Roept hem tot U. Laat hem toe                                       -w
      om al-zijn smart uit te weenen voor ooren die  mede-
      lijdend zijn, voor ooren die gaarne  willen luisteren              Rabsnni,  dat ik ziende mag  worden!                ,
      naar  ai de smart en al de  angsten die Uw  breeder  lijl          Daar is  bet. antwoord des  geloofs;    Hij zegt  hier-
,.    den moest.  Weet ge wel, dat  l@t bloote  vertellen van         mede,  dat Hij die voor hem staat bij machte  ii om dit
      al onze. smdrten  voor het medelijdende oor al heel wat         groote  ,goed" hem te geven.' Hij belijdt de almachtige
      helpt?  `0 zeker, Jezus heeft ons in deze ggschiedenis          kracht van den Middelaar.
      een belangrijke les geleerd. Hebt ge het  gexodrd?                 Bovendien is  hei, onze  overtuiging, dat deze  arme
      Bestraf dan den schreiende  diet meer, maar  leg'&' blinde man om meer vroeg dan net  maar: zijn  natuur-
      `oar te  ltiisteren  naar al  de smart van Uw  -b&eder.         lijk gebruik  @er oogen. Want indien  Bartimeiis  net
                                                                      maar om het natuurlijk gezicht  zijner-oogen bad, past
                              G\3-
                .                          `9                         het antwoord pan Jezus niet. Jezus  gebruikte.in  Zijn
           (Let er op  hoe. wispelturig de  schare is.  Deielfde      antwoord een- woord, dat doorgaans in de Heilige
      menschen die den  armeri Bartimeiis eerst bestraften,           !Schrift ziet op de behoudenis  der.ziel.  Neen; wij voor
      komen nu  op hem  toegeloopen, en  `zeggen heel  &in-           ons gelooven, dat deze  inan om beide bad,  gn om het
      zaam : Heb  goeden moed, sta op, Hij roept  u ! Walgt           natuurlijk  zi& zijner natuu'rlijke oogen,  kn om de  be-
           .
      ge met van die  ghilligheid? Eerst bestraffen ze den            houdenis van zijn ziel en leven.
      armeq stakkerd, en nu zoo lief  doen? Wat, een waar-               En  w5t de deur dicht doet is  we1 dit : hij volgde
      schuwende les voor ons.                                         Jezus op den  weg., -Dat toont, dat hij meer ontving
           Doch  Bartimeiis.let nauwelijks op de  tichare.  Hij-      dan het tijdelijk gebruik zijner oogen.  Deze man is
      spoedt  zich tot Jezus. En voor Hem staande  hoort  bij. -zekerlijk behouden, voor tijd en eeuwigheid. Indien
      Jezus.  zeggeq: Wat wilt gij dat Ik u  doen zal? Even           gij die naar mij luistert een  kin& van God  .zijt, dan
      te voren hebben we eenzelfde vraag van de  lippen van           gaat gij  Bartinieiis  straks zien in  deny  hemel,  daar-
      Jezus gelioord. .Dat was in antwoord  pp de vraag van           boven bij God. Ik twijfel  ,er geen oogenblik  aan.
      de  zonen van  Zebedeiis. Toen had de Heere Jezus  oo&
      `gevraagd : Wat wilt gij dat Ik u  doen zal?  Maar- de             En nu? Wat zoudt gij  kiezen?  Wat hebt ge al-
      viaag. van die  ,broeders  was niet van den Heiligen            reede gekozen? Bij Gods  voorzienigheid  kkamen- deze
      Geest. Het was  hull, te  doen om de  dingen van deze           woorden tot  u. En ze hebben een doel.  W&%vilt gij,
      tegenwoordige wereld, al is  hei  oak, dat zij vragen om        dat Jezus U  doen zal? Kiest ge, of  hebt. ge  alreede..de
      een zitplaats vlak naast Jezus in den troon  Zijtier  heer-     aardsche schatten verkoren? Dan zult ge met die
      lijkheid. Zij  willen het Koninkrijk Gods genieten-naar         schatten verloren gaan  in den  -dag  wanneer  alles zal  -.
      den  ma,atstaf van het vleesch en, tot verzadiging van          versmelten en  verbranden..
      het yleesch. En zoo werden ze  dari ook absoluut  afge-            Kiest  .ge Jezus' Eehoudenis? Dan doet ge  dat.door
      wezen. Ze ontvangen hunne begeerte niet. En' dat                het  gelobf, dat Bartimeiis en al de gekenden van voor
      was ook  ge!ukkig voor hen.                                     de grondlegging  dey wereld  ontvangen; Dan zult ge
           Doch hier is het anders.                                   Jezus:volgen' op den weg. En die weg leidt tot de
      s    In dat gezegde van  :Jez.us ontvangt Bartimeiis de         eeuwige genieting van Zijn trouwverbond!  Amen.
      sleutel van het Goddelijke schathuis. Hij mag nu                         .     _-                               G. vos.  :.

                                                        d                                                        .


                                                                                                                         I
I
         .3ed                                       ;                                            T H E               STANI3AR.D.  BEAR.ER

                                                                                                                                 -
                                  THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R .   I-                                                                     `(  E:  .D  I  T  0.  n  I.&L  s.-
                        Semi-monthly, except monthly in Jdiy and August `=
                    Publi&ed  by the  Refor&d Free Publishing' Association
                           Box 124, Station C., `Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                                            :               Individualism?
                                                                                                         .
                                    EDITOR  - Rev. Herman Hoeksema
                    Communicatio'ns  relative t3 contents should be addressed                                                                  In thd same number of the Reformed  Jowrml  from-
                    to Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand                                                                  which we quoted in our  last,.is&e, the Rev. Daane has
                    Rapids i, Michigan.                                                                                                   a  second article under the heading  `%ommon  Grace  '
                    411 matter relative to subscript& should be addressed                                                                 versus Individualism".           In that article he expresses
                    to Mr. J.  Bouwn&n,  1350  `Giddings-   A+e.,  S. E.,  Gland
                    Rapids 7, Michigan.  Annotincements  and Obituaries  inust                                                            the very much mistaken idea that  our  conception of
                    be mailed to the above address and will be published at a                                                             grake  $4 individualistic. . To do him justice I  will  qubte
                    fee of $1.00 for each notcce.                                                                                         rather  eitensiqely  .from his article.
                    Rknewals:-  Unless a definite request for discontinuance
                    is received, it is' assumed that  the- subscriber wishes the                                                               "The history `of religious  thoizght`-shows  that-the
                    subscription  t3 continue without the formality of. a  re-                                                            doctrine of common grace has  a&en only in the area
          - newal order;                                                                                                                  of Reformed Theology. It did  not, and could not,  arise
                                 Subscription Price: $3.00  per year                                                                     . in Liberal or  -Fupdamentalistic Christianity,  ;for .the
                    Entered as, Second Classpmail  a$ Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                              simple reason that neither Liberalism  no,r  @unda-:
                                                                                                                                          mentalism believes in the covenant.  Both'these ver-
                                                                                                                                          sions :of Christianity believe that God deals with  ,men
                                                                                                                                       exclusively  as individuals. Where God's dealing with
                                                          -              I                  -                                             men is regarded as a  stPictly individual affair, there
                                                                                                                                         is no question as to what the elect and the reprobate
                                                                                                                                          have in common. There is here no  Iquestion of  com-
                                                                                                                                                                                                :
                                                                                                                                       m o n   g r a c e .
                                                         C O N T E N T S -                                                                 `$eformed theology, however, takes the idea of
         MEDiTATIQNy,                                               _                                                                     the Covenant seriously. It believes that  God; as  -Triune,
                      De ,Genezing Van Bartimeus . . . . . . ..____....___________________________  :361                                  is covenantal in His very nature ; that man, created in
                           l&v. G. Vos                                                                                                    God's image, is also covenantal in his very  nature ; and
                                                                                                                                          that God,' in harmony with His and man's nature,  al-
         EDITO%IALS-                                                                                                                      ways deals  with mankind in terms of a covenant.
                      Individualism ________________ _ _____________________________ :..:I ________________________ 364                   Thus,  ,God deals with the whole  .mass of mankind
                       Correction, Please .____________._____________  _ __________ -. ______ . . . . . 
                                                                                                                 .._... _____ -36`9
               _      Van Boeken _______________._.__.......~~...........  ____ _____________~ ___________: ______ 369                    throtigh  the  ~Covenant  of Works, and with a large
                            Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                              group of people through the Covenant of Grace. From
                                                                                                                                          this it is plain that God deals with mankind not first
        ,OUR   DOCTRINE-                                                                                                                  of all as so many individuals, but as a group.
                      Days or P&iods ____________._______..........: __________________.______  :___________  370                              "But Reformed theology believes also in election
                            Rev. H. Veldman                                   ".                                                          aqd reprobation. This means  that within the large
                                                                                                                                          group there  are both  eject and reprobate,-individuals
         CONTRTBUTION-
                      Our Calling is to go Forward . . . . . . . . .._.___~ ______. __________........_.__  374                           wh3ni God intends to save and individuals whom God
                           J. H. Kortering                                                                                                does not intend to  ~save. At this point the question
                                                                                                                                          .of common grace arises. God deals with mankind in
                      Once More - The P&misti  ____ i ____ :_______.___..______~  __________.____.._. 375                                 t&rms,  .pf  `-a  grou'p  and- has a general attitude toward
         -.                Rev. G. M. Ophoff
                                    9                                                                                                     the-  whole group. Yet the group contains  elect  and.
                                                               .                                                                         - reprobate, toward each of which He has a special  atti-
       `-PROM   H O L Y  `W R I T -
                      Exposition of Romans 6:1-$4 . 
                                                                                    .._.._........________. ___________ _____ ____ 
                                                                                                                              379         tude. What, then, do, the elect and reprobate,  US  mem-
                           Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers                                                                                           beys  of  a common  grozi~, have in common? This  is-
                                                                                                                                          the question  :of common grace-a question that can
     -  I N   H I S   FEAR-                                                                                                               arise-only  within a theology that takes seriously both'
                      Church Membership in Hi`s Fear _______________  I ____________________  331                                         the doctrine of the Covenant and the doctrine of  elec-
         -* Rev. H. C. Hoeksema                                                                                                           tion and reprobation.'
                                                                                                                                            "Rev.  .Herman Hoeksema claims to believe in the
        .PERISCOPE-                           -.                                                                                          Covenant-of Grace. Nevertheless,' in common with the
                     Church Union . . . . .._ _ ________._.__._.__._........  ~_______.____________..~.......  _ ___._. 383
                           Rev. J. Howerzyl ,                                                            _                                Fundamentalist and the Liberal, he believes essentially
                                                                                                    -                                     that God deals with mankind  .as individuals. For, in,
                                                                                                                                          Hoeksema's thought,  ,God  -d&s not  first of  all deal with
                                                                                                                                                                                           .
                                                                                                                                                          E    _-


                                     T H E .   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           . 365

elect and reprobate together, in  their  cov.encmtal his-          grace of  *God. Neither-do I involve merely the church
torical relatedness.  God has  no  common  attitude to-            of God, as the body of Christ, which itself. is already
ward  both  elect and reprobate. Consequently,  Hoek-              an organic conception, as the' new mankind. This is
setia denies both common grace and a common wrath.                 indeed done by Dr. A. Kuyper. He does have an eye
God  on& loves the elect, and He  ox&  h&es  the  repro-           for the fact that God did not elect a number of indi-
batea                                                              viduals, to redeem them as severed branches of the
    `"It is a fact; however, that in the actual  .history tree of our race, but that the organism, as. body. of
of the covenant (and the Church), the elect and repro-             Christ, as the  atitual mankind, is saved and glorified
bate are related to each other. They  are. a--  grou$~             by God. But he does not further apply this thought
But for Hoeksema that means nothing with respect                   to the  organid whole of  ,511.  creatures. It is for that
to  #God's  attitude.  Ac&ording to Hoeksema's thought,            reason that Dr.  Kuyper really presents the history  of-
God  does. not deal with a group,  b~ik only  with elect           the world `dualistically. On the one hand, He saves
and reprobate individuals. Hence, for  .hini, the `"pro-           His church, the elect. But on the other hand, God also
mise" is particular, and not general, It is only for `realiz.es what he calls His original creation `ordinance.
the `elect person; not for the reprobate.       For that           He presents the matter as if a breach,  .an essential
reason the question as to what baptism can mean for                breach, was' made by Satan in the work of God, and
the reprobate infant would appear to be most disturb-              that sin and death would actually hinder God in  -the
ing for Hoeksema. And though it may be submerged,                  realization of His original creation ordinance,  were_ it
it is the very present question in the controversy now             not for the fact that at this juncture-common grace
going on about "conditional theology" in the Pro-                  intervened restrainingly. Unto this end he presents
testant Reformed  .Church.                                         God'as  concluding a covenant of friendship with the
   "Against this religious  individualism--which'Hoek- ungodly world outside of Christ, in order that sinful
sema shares with both-Liberalism and Fundamentalism                man may choose God's side against Satan. This is,
-Reformed theology  maintains~  that God deals with                according to him, really the covenant of God in Noah.
mankind first as a group and only secondly with the                Because of this, man may live a relatively good world
individual as  nnz.in&~icl~al.  And even then He deals             life;from the principle of a certain righteousness which
with the individual as a member  of the  g?*oup.    This,          was left him by common grace. All of history really
Reformed theology maintains, is taking the covenant                becomes an interim. God carries  out.the covenant of
seriously.    To think  of, the individual apart from the          His. election, and saves the new mankind  ; but parallel
group, and to think of the elect and the reprobate out             with this line of the realization of  .God's eternal cove-
of the relationship to the covenant, spells an unbiblical          nant runs the line of common grace, along which God
individualism."                                                    realizes His original creation ordinance; This is not
   .How' the Rev. Daane can write this is a mystery                individualism, but it is nevertheless. dualism.      And
to me.                                                             overagainst this we include all creatures in mutual
   -Individualism is nominalism. And to nominalism                 connection and r-elation within the circle of the organic
we always have been opposed. Individualism is  Pela-               conception, and then make the distinction between the
gianism. And Pelagianism we hate. If anyone has                    elect kernel  and. the reprobate shell. We maintain
always been opposed to individualism, and instead pro-             that upon the whole of created things in organic con-
posed the organic idea, it is I. This I have always                nection with each other an operation of God's grace,
emphasized. This can be'plain already from the defini-             but also of His wrath, proceeds according to the coun-
tion of the problem of common grace which I offered                sel of His will and according to the nature  ,of the
in the preceding `issue of the  Stan$ard Bearer.                   creature in its own place in the whole.
                                                    Even
there we define -the problem of common  graceas con-'                  Hence, our conception is certainly not individual-
                                                              -
cerning the -question of God's  -attitude over against and         istic.
influence upon the whole of created things and their                   On the contrary, we proceed from the Scriptural
mutual `connection  and: development in time, in con-              idea that  all creatures are one. God in the beginning.
nection with and in harmony `with God's counsel in                 did not create an aggregate: of individual creatures,,
general, predestination, with election and reprobation,            indep.endent of one another, but a world, a kosmos, a
the realization of God's eternal covenant, etc. Always             harmonic, organic whole. God is  ,One.  T,he world
I emphasized that the problem of  common..grace con-               is also one. In the midst of the earthly creation stood
cerns our conception of the attitude over against and              man,. who had been. formed, after God's own image, so
operation upon of  ,God with respect to the organic                that in a creaturely way he resembled God in true
whole of temporal things, Tn.  conqeetion with the                 knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.        This man
counsel and good. `pleasure of God. I certainly, there-            stood at the head of creation, as being over the earthly
fore, have no individualistic,  particularistic  concep-           world.' And, he stood in God's covenant of friendship
tion of the tremendous work of redemption by the                   from the beginning. This covenant certainly was not


3 6 6                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   -

 a certain covenant of works, in which man could merit         his  ,God  in, love... For a spiritual, ethical breach was
 and attain to eternal life on condition of obedience.         .made in the relation of man to God. The life of his
 But it was a living  re1atio.n of friendship, in which        heart was subverted into its very opposite. -The work-
 God was the Friend of man, and man was the  friend-           ing of the image of God, whereby `he with mind and
 servant of the living God. In that covenant relation          will and heart and all his strength went out to God in
man stood as the  .friend-servant of the Most High, to         the. state of rectitude,' was turned into its reverse.
 represent.Him  in `the earthly creation, take up in his.      It is not quite correct merely  to"state that man through
 own heart the praise and honor. of all creatures, to
                                    --                         the fall lost the image of God. It is far less correct to
interpret. and express that praise and honor before            say that he lost that image only in part. If this last.
the face of God, love the Lord his  `(God -with all his        thought is the result of the distinction of the image of
-heart and mind and  soul  and strength, `and, in the          God in a narrower and broader sense, it is better to
name  of* the Lord his God and according to His will           abandon this distinction. But it is correct to'say that
rule over all creatures. He was  officebearer,prophet,         the image `of God turned about into its very opposite.
priest, and king,-with the commission, the command,            His light became darkness. His knowledge changed
and also the  ,right, the power and also the authority         into the  lie; His righteousness became unrighteous-
to subject creation  unto- himself,  and. to' cultivate it.    ness. And His holiness became impurity in all his
In the heart of man lay the spiritual, ethical center of       affections and rebellion in all his willing and  inclina.-
`God's creation, And through. that central point  the- tions. His love changed into enmity against God. Sin
entire creation was united in love with  `God Himself.         is not merely a defect or lack, but  privatio actuosa.
Also the creatures, each according to its nature, were         And the servant and covenant friend of the Lord be-             .
taken up in God's covenant of friendship and shared            came a friend and covenant ally of  .the devil. Also
in the good favor of the `Lord.  A,nd also those crea-         thus, however, `the Lord aontinues to sustain and
tures,' sustained by God's omnipresent power, stood            govern creation by His providential power. And-the
through man and each in its own place and according            entire organic existence of things remained essentially
to its  ,own nature in the service of God. All creatures       unaffepted. If now in this state of things no further
must serve man as their king,  in. order that man may          change is brought about, then the final result of history
` s e r v e   h i s   G o d .                                  will be that the completed spiritual, ethical fruit of
    In this harmonic, organic relation of things to God        the life of creation is the opposite of that which it
a breach. was struck. by sin. Only we must  immediat'e-        should be according to God's creation ordinance.
ly emphasize the truth that the' breach was struck in             However, although all this was effected through
the spiritual; ethical center of the earthly kosmos, that      the wilful disobedience of the first man, it must never
is, in the heart of man. Man violated the covenant of          be forgotten that it all took place according to the
 God.. The break is  theref,ore spiritual, ethical in char-    counsel and the will of God. Accidents, from the view-
acter.    An essential change in the relation of things        point of God, never occur.  (God is God. He is in
was not brought about by sin. Sin can never have as            heaven, and does all His good pleasure, Not merely
its result that creation would be annihilated, neither         in spite of the attempts of Satan and sin, but even
that. the mutual relation between the creatures and            through  !-those wicked attempts, at all times He pro-  9
the relation of the creatures to man would be essential-       ceeds directly to His goal. History is no interim..
ly changed, so that, for instance, creation would have         Never is God hindered by the creature. With Him
been turned into  .a chaos, if common grace had not            there is no change or shadow of turning. Also the
`intervened, as Dr. Kuyper would have it. To be sure,          fall, therefore, is wholly  .according to the counsel and
the creature bears in connection with man the curse            will of God, and it serves Him in the realization of
of God in this present time. It is subject to vanity.          His purpose. He had provided something better for
But the unity of creation was certainly not  ,broken.          His people. His objective, His final objective, was not
The natural organic affinity continued undisturbed.,           attained -with the rest of creation, with the rest of the  -
To be sure, fallen man became very limited in his              seventh day. That rest was but a figure of the eternal
gifts and powers and natural light, so  ihat he, has           rest in the  .heavenly  tabernacle of God, in the eternal
' retained merely a remnant of that natural light. -But        kingdom; in which all things will be united in Christ
even in his fallen state he retained his position as the       as their Head, when-all things in heaven and on earth
head of creation. And although it cannot be said that          will eternally be concentrated in the heart of Christ.
he is still officebearer of God, and that therefore he         For He, according to the epistle to the Colossians,
has the  pqwer and the right and the privilege to  serve%      1  :X%20, is the image of the invisible God, the first-
in God's house, he certainly continues to. stand before .born of all creatures, and that, to be sure, as the first-
the demand in his position in creation and with all his        born from the dead, as the head of the body, the begin-
gifts and means to serve the Lord. his God in love.            ning, in order that in Him all  .things should be united,
However, he cannot? will not, and cannot will to serve         and that He in all things should have the preeminence.


                                       T H E ,   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   _'                                   367:
                                                                                                  _.___l_-.-l
And through Him all things were created, that are in             Rev. Daane asks the question: "What, then,  dp the
heaven and that are in `earth, visible and invisible,            elect and reprobate, as members of a dommon group,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities           have in common?" ,Our answer  iti: they have all
 or powers, all things were created by  Hiti and for             things in common in this  pr'esent-world,  except grace.
 Him. For it pleased the Father that in  Him should              This is the truth of Scripture, as I am ready to prove,
all the fulness dwell. Thus it is  gccording to God's            And this  9s also the plain truth  .of our Reformed Con-
 eternal good pleasure. The eternal covenant' of friend-         fessions. Grace is never common. -The  -sinful  `and
 ship must be established in Christ and be realized by           corrupt creature can  14~~.  taZ& never be pleasing to
 Him unto its final, eternal and heavenly destiny, when          God. But outside of. Christ he is the object of  .His dis-
the tabernacle of  ,God  shall be with men. Therefore.           like, wrath and indignation, hatred and curse. Only
God immediately at the fall maintains His covenant               as that creature has been incorporated into and is
`in spite of Satan and sin; but that covenant' now as            eternally beheld in Christ, can it be pleasing to God
 eternally  firmly established in Christ. Through the            and the object of His sovereign favor. [Only from that
 realization of that covenant immediately after the fall         eternal  coutisel of election can the grace of  `God in
 the friendship with Satan in the heart of man is                Christ go out to him. That this is true is very evident
brought to nought.. And through the operation of                 from all that our Confessions teach.  In-the Heidelberg
 grace enmity is wrought in the heart of man against             C+techism,  Q. 10, we read: `"Will God suffer such dis-
 Satan. Here, however, we face the decree of  pre-               obedience and rebellion to go "unpunished? By no
,destination. Not all  the children of Adam have been            means; but is terribly displeased  ,with our original as
 predestined to enter into the eternal covenant  of  ,God's      well as actual sins  ; and will punish  t$em in his just
friendship.     Grace. follows the  ~  Jine of election. Only    judgment  temporalljr `and eternally,  &s he hath de-
the kernel is affected by grace. The shell is rejected.          clared, `Cursed is every  c& that continueth not in all
 It is exactly through this that the antithesis is realized      things, which are written in the book of  the law, to do
 in the midst of  the  world. Fact is that also now the          them.' " And again, in Canons'111  ,IV, 1-3, we read:
 creatures in the natural sense continue to exist in             "Man was originally formed after  the image of God.
 organic relationship. and connection. Also grace, even          His understanding was adorned with a -true and sav-
 as sin, does not bring about an  essenti'al change in the       ing knowledge of his Creator, and  df spiritual things;
 temporal existence of things.      Out of one blood  .God       his heart and will  were upright;  ai1 his affections
 created the entire human race. From a mere natural              pure  ; and the whole man was holy  ; but revolting from
 viewpoii;t all men  are  .one. They are not mere indi-          God  by--the instigation of the devil; and abusing  the
viduals. Man ever continues to stand in organic con-             frekdom of  hi,s'own  will, he forfeited these excellent
 nection with the whole race  .and -with the entire  kos-        gifts ;  and on the contrary &tailed  0i-1 himself blind-
 mos in the midst whereof he  move$  atid developes.             ness of inind, horrible darkness, vanity and perverse-
`There is, therefdre, no `individualism. Nor is there            ness  df judgment, became wicked, rebellious,  and `ob-
 du&lism. Nature and grace are no contrasts. And                 durate in heart and will, and impure in his  affkc-
 even now we-may remark that  gr'ace can never become            tions.
 the cause for  mFn.`who became partaker of it  tq go                  "Man after. the fall begat children  in his own like;
 out of the  wdrld. To be sure, the antithesis of sin and        ness. A corrupt stock produced a  corru.pt  offspring.
 grace  is called into being by the breach of sin and by         Hence all-the posterity  of Adam, Christ only excepted,
the entrance of grace, the latter developing  along .the         have derived corruption from their original parent,
.line of election. All things continue to exist and de-          not by imitation, as the Pelagians of old asserted, but
 velop  accordirig  to-, their own nature, sustained by          by the propagation of a vicious nature.
 ,God's almighty power, in natural affinity with one                    "Therefore all men are  .conceived in sin, and by
 another. But amidst this temporal existence of things           nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good,
 there arises and developes the spiritual, ethical anti-         prone to evil, dead in sin, and in  bondage'thereto,  and
 thesis of sin and grace, of light and  darknbss, of the         `without the &generating grace of the Holy Spirit,
- love of God and enmity against Him, of life and death,         they are neither able nor willing to return to  ,God, to
 of hkaven and hell. And through all  &his God does His          reform the depravity of their nature,  n?r to dispose
 own good pleasure, and He leads all things to their             themselves to reformation."         : ,
 eternal destiny, the eternal' separation of chaff and
 wheat, the eternal realization of  His covenant of                     And do not say that this doctrine of total depravity
 f r i e n d s h i p .                                           `and of the natural man being nothing but a child of
                                                                 wrath is changed by the so-called "glimmerings of
     Frdm all this it ought to  `be perfectly evident to         natural light" which man  ,after the fall still possesses.
 the Rev. Daane that we  ao not teach a  cektain indi-           For in the  same article  of the Canons,  III, IV, 4, which
vidualism,  btit are quite averse to this conception, and        speaks of these glimmerings of natural light, we are
 emphasize  the,  organic relationship of all things. The        taught as  follpws: "But so  fai is this light of nature
                                                                  i


  368                                       _  T H E   S T A N D A R D   - B E A R E R                              \
                     ----     :- --
  from  ,being  sufficient to bring him to  .a saving knowl-          the-whole of created things in organic connection with
  edge of  ,God,  ahd to true conversion, that he is incap-           `egck; other an operation of God's  grace9 but also of His
  able of using it  aFight even in  things natural and civil.         aversion, of election, but also of reprobation, proceeds
  Nay further, this light, such as it is, man in various              according`to `the counsel of His will and according to
  ways renders wholly polluted, and holds it in  uriright-            the nature of the creature, each in its own  p&e in the
eousness,  by doing which he becomes inexcusable be-                  -whole.
  fore God."I  -knd not dnly this, but also  Scripture-                    In that sense we also understand that God  loves the
  teaches the same truth throughout. To quote only                    world in its elect kernel, so that whosoever believeth
  Romans  1:18 : "For the  wrath.of  God is revealed from             shall be saved, but the wrath of God  abideth upon
  heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness                  whosoever believeth not. Thus we understand that
of  meti, who hold the truth in  unrighteou&ess.79                    Christ is the Head of the  churc$ but also the begin-
   We claim,  thkrefore,  that'  .vhile the organism of.              ning of the creation of God, and therefore also,the end,
  the human race as such, outside of Christ, is the  objeci;          the firstborn of all creatures and the firstborn from
  of His -displeasure and wrath, the church,-the body of              the dead, in Whom  all  the fulness should dwell, and by
  Christ, the brganism of the elect, is the object of His             Whom and for Whom all things were created. In that
  favor  and good pleasure  in,  ,Jesus  Christ  our Lord,            sense we understand that God purposed by Himself
  There proceeds out of the eternal good pleasure of                  to gather together in one all things  ip Christ, both
  God in. Christ an operation of grace upon. the elect                which are in heaven  and which  are on the earth. Eph.
  kernel of our race,' in connection with .the organic                1 :lO. Then we can also  understand.the  covenant with
- whole of all creatures. And by that wonder of grace                 Noah, which certainly is no separate covenant with
that  elect kernel in Christ, always in connection with               the world outside of Christ,  -but God's  eteinal cove-
  the  whble of things, is redeemed; saved, liberated,                nant of friendship,  revetiled to the  church'as recently
  glorified, lifted up out of darkness and guilt and sin              delivered by the flood. With the elect kernel in Christ,
  and death and curse  aizd vanity into the state of heav-            in connection with the whole of created things, Noah
  enly glory,  the glory, of God's  cov&lant  of friendship.          becomes heir of  the.w6rld by the  grace of God. The
  On the other  h~and, as we said, the wrath of God abides            sign thereof we have in  the all-embracing rainbow,
  upon the reprobate shell, outside of  Ck;rist. And an               painted by the sunlight upon the dark clouds. The
  operatioll proceeds from God's wrath, indignation, and              cov&lant  of friendship in Christ Jesus our Lord is'
 repulsion and hardening, whereby this reprobate shell                established with the organism  07 the elect.
  becomes ripe for  ,destruction.,                                         From the above it ought  to-be perfectly  p&n  that
         In all this  God~proceeds  directly to His goal., He         the Rev. Daane errs when he accuses us of-individual-
                                                                                             :
  never takes a detour. He nevkr retraces His steps.                  ism.
  His' work is never frustrated. "His purpose is never                     And now,  once  more  `I invite a discussion with the
  thwarted at any  lhoment in history.  This develop-                 Rev." Daane on the subject of common grace, provided
  ment and operation of God's  g&ace and aversion, draw-              he.`bases his discussion with me on the ground of
  ing and casting off, blessing and cursing, softening                Scripture and our Reformed  Confes$ions.
  and hardening, continues constantly according  to  His                                                                       n H. H.
  eterhal,good pleasure and in connection with the opera-
                                       ;
  tion of His providence and the organic  develo$ment  of                                             :g  *  :,:
  our race.      In the' actual sense of the word  one'  ;can
  therefore never speak of a. checking of this process.
  To be sure, the end. does-not appear immediately at the                                    W E D D I N G   `Ai'iNIVERSARY
  beginning. The development, or, if  you'will, the pro-                The Lord God  jehovah  has  be'en with us!  it is therefore
  cess of grace and  sib is according to  God's good plea-            with g&atitude  and praise to our Covenant God that our beloved
  sure and connected by His. providential management                  p a r e n t s ,
  with the organic existence  ,of  -al! things.                                  Mr. &T  Mrs:  Ralph Van Spyker, nqe Schuchatidt
                                                        IhIt  that
  process is not `restrained: It proceeds as rapidly as               may have commemorated their 35th wedding anniversary  on
                                                                      May 4, 1951. j
  possible. For Christ comes quickly, and His reward                    Innumerable are ihe j:oys  and blessings which God showered
  is with Him, `to give  uilto every man according as his             upon the*. `And though grievous trials came and went, the
  work shall be.                                                      Lord  prbted  faithful and merciful. May  tihe -Lord continue to
         It ought to be plain to  anyoile that can  ie&d that         be with  them'sin grace and  lovingkindness.  This is the prayer
                                                                      and wish of  -their grateful children.
  this conception is quite `contrary to  .the idea of  indi-
  vidualism.     Instead we offer the organic  developme&                                            M%. and Mrs. Meine Van Fleeren
                                                                                      ? .            Mr. and JXr's. Hitnry Vander Kolk
  of all  ;things  ih connection with the final goal, the                        *                    Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Van Spyker
 eternal covenant  .of friendship, when `the tabernacle                                               Miss Marian  Van Shyk&r       . .
  of  ,God shall he-with men. And we  maint@n that upon                                                 2 grandchildren.
                                                                      Route 3. Zeeland,  Mich.                                             ,
                                                              -


                                               THEkTANDARD   B E A R E R                                                                    369
                                                    -.    .                     --
                      tCorreci-ion,-                           PIeape                               Van Boeken
          The Rev. De Boer writes in  Conco&ia that he  is. D E   K O M S T  VAN H E T  KONINKRIJK
       afraid that at  our: next- Synod the decision concerning                     Prof. Dr. Herman Ridderbos.  U<tgever  J. H. Kok, n.v.
                                                                              - Kampen Nederland. f.12.75.
       the Declaration of Principles  willhinge upon the  qu@s-
       tion whether a president is chosen' from the delegates                   Dit  lijvige boek (447 paginas) is een werk van
       of  Classis  West  ,or from those of  Classis  East. He              veel  en grondige studi'e en  -we  bevelen  bet  gaarr.c  aa.n
     , argues that seeing that the president cannot have a                  bij de meer geletterden onder ons Hollandsch lezend
       vote, and seeing that the delegates from each  classis               publiek. In dit werk behandelt Dr.  Ridderbos de  idee
       have their  mincls made `up,  concernitig the Declaration,           van het koninkrijk der hemelen, het feit vqn zijn  ge-
       and seeing that the president that is to be eleded can-              komen  zijn,. het evangelie des koninkrijks, koninkrijk
     . not vote  oti the Declaration, therefore it is possible              en kerk, `de komst van het koninkrijk en  bet,  avond-
       that the Declaration will pass by a vote of 8 to 7.                  maal,  ens de toekomst van het koninkrijk  der  heme-
                                                                            len.
          Now, in the first place, I hope that  the Synod will
       not prove to  lbe a mere voting machine, but that the                        Dr. Ridderbos omschrijft, de  idee van de komst van
       delegates, however they may have  made up their                      het koninkrijk der hemelen als "die van de  koninklijke
       minds before the Synod, will listen to arguments from                zelfhandhaving Gods, van de  realizeering van zijn  rljk,
       the  C,on-Eessions and Scripture,  `as well as from the              van zijn komen  tot.de wereld om  Zich in zijn konink-
       Church Order, and that these arguments will be care-                 lijke majesteit,  koni&lijke  kracht en  koninklijk  recht
       fully weighed and the final  jresult will be accordingly.            te openbaren." Deze puur  theocentrische  omschri,!-
       I would suggest that at the Synod we either' have a                  sting van het koninkrijk, der hemelen is  0.5. al  te  ab-
       couple of stenographers or, better still, have a couple              strtict  en  koud,' en  doet geen  r&ht  ,aan de plaats. van
       of wire recorders to record all the arguments,  in order             Christus, zijn vernedering en verhooging, noeh ook
I      that they can  be* weighed even aft&wards.                           aan den  rijkdom van het koninkrijk als koninkrijk der
                                                                            hemelen. Het boek zelf is  echter rijker dan  boven-
          But, secondly,  T do not believe  thtit the argument              staande definitie.                                '
       of the Rev. De Boer is quite correct. I know that it                     Wat m.i. dit boek vooral rijk maakt is de vele  aan-
       is usually understood that the president of synod or                 halingen uit de  Schrift,- dikwijls vergezeld van een
       of any gathering cannot have a deciding vote except in               korte  verklaritig.  Echter  w;1s,  m.i. de beperking tot
       cdse of a tie. And of course, a tie could not possibly               de  syioptische  cvangeli& niet noodig  geweest.  _
       occur at  ou$ synod, where there are 16 delegates, and                   Vraag : is het waar, dat het  .des  duivels -(en der de-
       therefore  15, outside of the  presidhnt.  However, I do             monen)  doe1 is  ,Gods schepping te verwoesten? p.  IlO.
       not believe' that this traditional' view, is correct. No                     Gaarne aanbevolen.
       delegate, not even the president, can be deprived -of                                                                            H .   H .
       his right to  vot'e.  And he has that--right, not only in                                                                   1
       case of a tie, but even if his vote should  Cause the  r&                                     :g      *    *    :i:
       sult of a tie.
          it is well that this be understood. For otherwise                 PROFETI~SCHE   VERGEZICHTEN
      we  might even have trouble in electing a president,                          Ds. J.  `Ov(erduin.  Uitgever J. H. Kok n.v.  K`ampen, Neder-.
                                                                                    land.
       since  .no one would accept that  pbsition  pn condition
       that he could not vote, especially on the Declaration.                       Dit boek, geschreven door den onder ons niet  on-
       In that case we will probably have to elect a president              bekendkn schrijver van  "He1 en  $-Iem'el in  Dachau",
       by lot.                                                              behandelt de  bekende profetische iegeningen  tiitge-
                                                                            sproken door de  stervenden Jakob over de  patriarchen
          But seeing this is not the case, no one needs to-hesi-            van het oude verb&d. Het is  gkschreven in zeer  hel-
       tate to occupy the chair  at our next sypod.                         deren en puntigen  stijl, vol van  allerl&,tegenstellingeti
                                .                              H .   H .    en  paradoxen,  voor  ieder verstaanbaar,  zoodat- we  bet.
                                                                            hierom en ook  om zijn inhoud gerust en van  ha&e kun-                    '
                     `.                                                     nen aanbevelen  bij-  `allen die Hollandsch lezen kunnen.
                                                                                    In een  inleidend  woord schrijft  ,Ds. Overduin, dat
                                                                            hem bij het bestudeeren van de behandelcle stof vooral _
                                                                            drie  dingen zijn opgevallen: 1. Dat Jakob alleen door
                  l3ow  shall the young direct their way ?           -      inspiratie heeft  `kunnen zegenen zooals hij deed. 2.
                  What light shall be their perfect guide ?                 Dat  ,Gods Woord gesproken door dezen ouden pa-
                  Thy Word, 0 Lord, will safely lead,                       triarch zeer  actueel is voor dezen hyper-modernen
                  If in its wisdom they confide.                            tijd.      `Dit laatste doet het boek zeer duidelijk  uit-


                                                                                                                      `"
 370                                                TfiE  S T A N D A R D   BEARER
                                                                                                   _-
kqmen.  Het  bevat veei meer dan "profetische  verge-
zichten." Het biedt tevens een psychologisch  geeste-
:lijke beschouwing van de diepste roerselen van het                               OUR.  DOCT
menschelijk hart, dat  arglistig  is en geheel boos,  en
legt de vinger op vele wondeplekken in het moderne                                       Days  or  Peris
leven. 3. "Dat naar  mate de profetische vergezichten
zich  openen,  naar die mate wij alles kunnen  samen-                                                          n
                                                                                                               es.
vatten in enkele voorden:  -Dit is het Evangelie  vaq                                   THE  CONCORDISTIC,  THEORY
Gods souvereine genade in  Christus. God  alles en wij                           We concluded our preceding article with the state-
niets."  I Ook dit laatste doet Ds. Overduin  duidelijlk                      ment that we obtain a strange conception of the crea-
uitkomen in dit mooie boek.                                                   tion and development of the world if we subscribe to
    Wat Ds. Overduin schrijft over Jozef  &s. een  ver-                       the theory which views the days of Genesis  1 as
wend jochie wil mij, ofschoon hij  gewoonlijk zoo wordt                       lengthy periods of time. Surely, we, the Church of
voorgesteld (ook door Calvijn) ,niet  aan.                                    the living- God, are living even now at the end of  time.
    Hartelijk  aanbevolen.                                                    This we do not merely mean in the sense' that we,  as.
                                                                              of the  ,Old Dispensation, are living in the last hour.
                                                               H.  g.         This is also true. Scripture speaks of the New Testa-
                                  *  *  *    :i:                              ment  as the last hour. The history of the world and
                                                                              the  de'velopment of  ,God's covenant can be compared
LANGE'S  COMXENTARY ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES                                   ' to a clock. This history of the development of the
    Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Joshua                    Lord's covenant is  charaterized by various dispen-
     -Ruth and I Samuel, two volumes. Price per volume $3.95.                 sations or periods. These periods do not differ essen-
    Again we heartily recommend to  .ministers, teach-                        tially but each  konstitutes an advancement upon the
ers,. and all who are interested in the study of the                          other as far as the light of God's revelation is con-
Holy Scriptures, this, priceless set of commentaries.                         cerned. Each period, then, is represented  by- an hour
They do contain, of course, a good deal of scholarly                          upon that world-clock. And we, of the New  Dispen-
material, but not to such an extent  ,as to make the                          saton, are living in the last hour.. The clock of the
work inaccessible to the general public.                                     world has already  ' struck eleven.            However,  .we are,
    The commentary on the book.of Joshua was origin-                         not only living in the last hour, but also towards the
ally prepared by the Rev. F. R. Fay, pastor in Crefield,                      end of this hour.
Prussia; that on Judges and  Ruth.by professor  Paulus                           Many things establish the  fact that we are living
Cassel of Berlin, a converted Rabbi ; while the  corn-.                      near the end of time. There is, first of all, the sign
mentaries on the two books- of Samuel was written                            of the preaching of the gospel. `The Lord had com-
iri German by the Rev. Dr. Erdmann.                                          manded that the gospel must be preached to all crea-
    Interesting  ,and valuable often are the notes by the                    tures.    This,  tie  und&stand,  ~does not mean every
tr8nslators.          Cf. for instance the rather elaborate dis-             human being, head for head. All creatures must be
cussion of Saul's  visit to the witch of  Endor.                             understood here in  the representative sense of the
                                                               H. H.         word. The gospel must be preached  to every nation,
                                                                             l&d,  tongue, and people. Has this occurred?  &&her
                                                                             sign of the Lord's coming is that of wars and rumors
                                                                             of wars. Is it not an amazing thing that  ,the peoples
                                                                             of' the earth are preparing themselves for an&her
          b         WEDDINi2         ANNIVBRSARY                             war and that so soon after the recent global con-
  On  May  21, 1951 our beloved  .parents and grandparents,                  flict? Each war is an advancement upon the preced-
                      Mr. anti Mrs.  IHenry   Basstianse                     ing dne in  .scbpe and  intensjty. And, these wars are
hope to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.                            following so quickly upon each other. Any one who
  We render thanksgiving unto our  God for  .the many. blessings
which we have been privileged to share with our parents for                  is somewhat familiar with the history of the United
these past thirty-five years in Christian  f,ellowship.        Our prayer    States  must realize that wars have  been fought in
is that He may spare them for each other and us  Inany more                  1776, 1812, 1848,  1861, 1898, 1917, 1941. What does
years, in subservience to His holy will.                                     this mean? Fact is, each succeeding  geiera;tion  has-
    .          h       Their grateful children:                              been'involied in some kind of war. And how terrible
                                    Mr. and Mrs. Edward Huls (
                                    `Mr. and Mrs. Peter V$nder Loon          these wars are becoming ? And  no@, not five years
                                    Mr. and Mrs. Harvey  Kingma              after the close of the most recent conflict, warfare is
                                    Mr. and Mrs. ,Cornelius  Jonker r:       again going on in  Kbrea, and  who.will venture to pre-
                                    Mr. and Mrs. James Van Dam
                                      and -8 grandchildrkn.                  dict what the  outcoine of this fighting will be? Apart
Grand Rapids, Michigan,  -  "                                                from the coming of the Lord of lords, Who will  make
                                                                                                         .-


                                        TH&  ST:AeJD.ARD   B E A R E R                                                         371
                                                        ._
  all things new, it is simply a  f&t that the  world her-                Therefore we must and  d-o  reject'this entire con-
  self. is hastening to her own destruction.  - People today          ception and believe in' the literal and natural interpre-
  are speaking of the imminent destruction of the human               tation of  bhese "days" on Genesis 1. It is not; first of
  race and of the earth. One dreads to think of the                   all, the question whether we are able to harmonize
  probable intensity of the next global conflict. A third             our conception of Scripture with the so-called findings
  si,gn of the end of the world is the Lord's prediction              of an equally so-called modern day science. fkience
that the love of many shall  wax cold. This we  do not                m`ay never  ,dictate  to us the interpretation of Holy
  iliterpret  in the sense that the real, true love of the            Writ. We must bow before the  .W,ord of the living
  people of God shall wax cold. This is obviously im-                 God. Wehmust  permit the Lord'to teach and  .instruct
  possible. The work which the Lord has  once begun                   us out of His Word and testimony. We may never
  in us He shall complete until  tlie  ,day of the coming             assume a so-called neutral, attitude toward the Scrip-
  of' our Lord Jesus Christ. This word of the Lord                    tures. God's Word, or the Bible,  must ever  Abe for us
  must be applied to professing Christians, to those who              the Word of  `God, the one and only inspired  Word' of
  profess to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and possess             the alone living Jehovah in Whose light we alone are
  the love of  #God. How cold  t,oday is the  j`love" of              able to see light, And besides, there  iS absolutely  n6
  many professing Christians. The churches never had                  reason why we should interpret Genesis 1 as teaching
  as many upon. the church rolls as today. And, yet,                  a long, drawn-out evolutionistic conception of the
  what an astounding lack of true love,  of' God and of               origin of the world.            There is no reason to believe
  Christ, and of His  Scriptur'es   ; Surely, we are `living          this in the things round about us. And, even if this
  towards the end  ,of time; and the end of the ages is               were apparently true, there is yet no reason why the
  rapidly. coming upon us. This means that the exist-                 days of Genesis 1 are not ordinary days of' twenty
  ence of this`world may total  some six to seven thousand            four hours duration.
y e a r s .
       Besides, even if we are not so near the end of  .th.e                                   :jC     *    $    :i;
                                                                         i

  world (and all signs point to the  conclusicm that we
  are), we  obtain a very strange and  un'proportionate *                 THE  HEXAEMERlON OR CREATION-WEEK
  view of the origin and development `of the world. Let                                         (1) .                            (
  us presuppose  that the birth of Christ stands in the                                       *Genesis 1: l-2.
  very center of the world's history, and that we reckon
  this from the fall of  man. This world, then, will con-               We read in this passage: "In  then-beginning God
  tinue to exist for another two  thoushnd years, having              created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was
  existed four thousand years prior to Christ's coming                without form, `and void  ; and, darkness was upon the
  into our flesh. Then this world, from the moment                    face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon
  that Adam fell unto  the"end of its existence, will have            the face of the waters."
  existed some eight thousand years. With this in-mind,
  we must have a very strange conception of the world,                Somdopinions regarding this passage.                            `.
  if the theory of periods  is to be maintain&d. Then'we                  First, the question arises : Must` Genesis  1:l be
  can say that a world which was thousands  and millions              regarded as a superscription or title of the entire nar-
  of years in the process of construction is to be  de-               rative of creation, or must this text be regarded as
  `strayed after some eight thousand  years of existence.             occurring at the very beginning,  t@e first moment of
  To speak  in'terms of architecture and  construction,0              time. If the former be true, then Genesis  1:l gives
  an architect and  ,designer and contractor builds an                us a brief  synoljsis of that which fqllows. If the latter
  edifice of one story above the surface of the ground                be true, then this particular work of God in these  two
 -with thousands of floors below the surface of the                   verses precedes all that which follows.
  earth.       The Lord, then, must have- been busy for                   Secondly, others would read Genesis 1 :l-3 as fol-
  millions of  yea'rs in the formation of a world which,              lows :  ) In the  begilining when Gqd created the heaven
  proportionately` speaking, will exist but a very few                and the earth-the earth now was  withqut form and
  years. No earthly `architect or builder proceeds along              void, etc.; . . . . then  #God said, Let there be light.
  these lines; and it is doubly certain that this does not            According to this interpretation, in  vefse 2 the earth
  characterize the heavenly  Archit& and-Builder Whose                as without `form and void is presupposed, and was
  Naine is: The Everlasting  ,God.  Faci;  -is, this  &tire           alr.eady  in existence when God proceeded with the
  theory of periods, which would interpret the "days" of              work of creation. TLat is, .the Lord created the heaven
  Genesis 1 as long periods  df time, simply belongs to               and the earth when the earth `was without form and
  the conception of modern evolutionists who do not                   void.      *
,- reckon with the return of Christ upon the clouds of                    In  `coniiection  with these  "explanatigns" we wish
  heaven.                                                             to remark the following. On the one hand, the second



                                                                :'                       ,


                                                                                            1
           372                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D               ARE?3

           interpretation is surely impossible. Presuppose that              pee&at and necessary mode of  exiStence   .for the crea-
           the earth, be it without form and void, was already in            ture, that which is created by the Lord. The creature
           existence when the Lord  cre&ted  -the heaven and the             is  character'ized by time. It constitutes his peculiar
           earth. Why, then, should  .we read  in verse 1 that               mode of existence. `The  ,creature is characterized by
          , God in the beginning created the heaven and the                  development and change, goes ever and irresistibly
           earth?  Was not, according to this interpretation of              forward. Time, which we cannot see or hear or feel
           *Genesis 1 :l-3, the earth already in existence? Be-              or touch, is that mysterious and real "thing" which
           sides, there is no reason whatsoever, grammatically,              causes us to move ever forward, causes us  ,to advance
           to interpret Genesis  i  :l-3 in such a way that the  e%rth       from year to  year,, subjecting us constantly to change
           without form and  void must be presupposed  ai al-                and  dgvelbpment.    When the Lord, therefore, in "the
           ready existing before the creation of the heaven and              beginning" created the heavens and the earth, He  `a&.0
           the earth. And, on  the other.  h&d, we also reject the           created that beginning, called Time into existence.
           first suggested explanation of this passage of Holy                  Thirdly, that God created the heavens and the
          -Writ. Then we have in verse 1 a brief summary  of- earth "in the beginning" also implies, therefore, not
           the creation narrative in Genesis 1 and 2. However,               only that the world began, but also that it  began,  and
           reading these chapters we notice, I am sure, that  noth-          that for that very reason the universe now stood at
           ihg more is said about the creation of the heavens.
B                                                                            the beginning of a certain process  and development.
           How, then, can verse 1 be a summary of Genesis 1                  To be sure, the original creation of the Lord was also  '
           and 2 when nothing is said in these chapters of the               characterized by a marvellous oneness, unity. Fact is,
           creation or existence of the heavens?                             God created the heavens  and the earth. The one God,
           but one possiblie interpretation remains.'                        therefore, `is the Supreme Creator of all things. Pre-
                                                                             sently, having created at  the.first moment of  history
                  "In the beginning" must refer then to the very first       (and that first moment included) all things substan-
           moment in history,. the first moment of the first hour            tially and basically,  the Lord will proceed to  ~call into
           of the first day, etc. That God, "in the beginning,"              existence, out, of that lump, as it were, an *amazing
           created' the heavens and the earth means or refers to             variety of creatures, in the heavens above and upon
           that act of God when He, at the  verjr beginning, made            the earth beneath and in the waters under  the  ea$h.
           im principle,  the heavens and the earth.          Then the       This does not mean, we understand, that all these
           material was formed, the basic substance. And also                creatures will.  simply assume their own peculiar form,
          , at that moment time was created.
                                -.                                           that the things of themselves Will develop in their own
                                                                             strength ; but they will be called into being by the
           l&en- so,  h&ever,  Genesis  1:1-2 teaches  zcs  geveyal same almighty and irresistible and creative word of
           ideresting  t h i n g s .                                         the living God. And, created by the  oize God, these
                  First, this world  as* it exists in  tinie had a begin-    creatures will be characterized by an amazing unity.
           ning. We need not again enter into a detailed discus-             They' will be  wond&fully adapted to each other, to
           sion of the tremendous truth that the world, the'world            serve one another, `and together they will reach their
           as, we see and  ,know it, had a beginning. That the               ap&x in man', and, in man, the living God, so that all
           Lord "in  the beginning" created' the heavens and the             things, in and through man, will serve and glorify the
           earth surely implies that before that moment nothing              living God,
           was in existence. We merely  wish to repeat that Gen.                But, this "beginning" also  iniplies that God's  crea-
           1  :l-2, therefore, dknies an eternal substance, an eter- otion stood upon the threshold of a history, `and that it
           nal materialism or matter; it denies that `God merely             was adapted to serve that Divine purpose of the Lord.
           formed things and did not create them, that the Lord              This means that the creation of the world was adapted
           simply worked with a  substance  already present. Be-             t9 run the course of suffering and  ,death, of sin and
           fore this beginning, therefore, there was nothing, and            grace, of darkness and light which the Lord had sover-
           whatever exists was' called into being by God's al-               eignly willed before the foundation of the world. In-
           mighty and creative word.                                         deed, that all things were created, good, according to
                  Secondly; this "beginning" was also  creatid by God.       the word of the Lord  iri Gen.  1:31, does not merely
     _    The Lord here created time. Time, we have already                  imply that all things were created without defect (this
           remarked in this series of articles, is not to be  cbn-           is also true),  ,but  als'o that the `creature was adapted
           fused with, is not a part, be  ii ever  so small, of eter-        unto  `the purpose which  *God had sovereignly ordained
           nity. Eternity is not endless time. It is not true,               so that it could become the sphere of the fearful
           therefore, that  <God "waited" until finally this  parti-         struggle -between light  atid darkness, life and death,
          cular moment arrived before He began to call the                   righteousness and  unrighteohsness, the seed of the
           heavens and the earth into existence. Time itself is a            serpent and the Seed of the  worn&.. This, we  under-
           creaturee,. created. by God, and may. be defined as  th'e `&and, does not apply to the creature as it shall enter
                           K


                                                              `.                                                 *


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D                                                          373
            - t.
into the eternal glory. The heavenly Jerusalem shall            ,Church  of the'  living.,God. Among the animals we
be characterized by immorality,  gnd this means not             have the lion, the lamb, the sheep, the eagle, etc. We
only that we shall never again die, but also that we            are all acquainted with the symbol of the seed that
shall never again be- able to `die. Immortality, how-           niust die in order to bring  forth its fruit,  bf the bread
ever,  .was not characteristic of the original creation;        and the water and the wine. The calm night, the
it stood at the beginning of  history; and it was adapt-        stormy night, the calm and the  ,stormy sea speak a
ed to serve the  purpbse of the Lord also as far as  the        language with which we are all more or less familiar.
struggle between light  and darkness, life and death            Attention could also be called to the various relation-
was concerned. This glorious truth alone can  .com-             ships in human life, that  of the father and his son,
fort us also in  comiection with the awful phenomenon           of the mother and her daughter, of the employer  aqd
of sin and death, of misery and woe, of the fact that           his employee, of the bride and the bridegroom, etc.
this world at present is one huge vale of tears. God            All things were created as  9 mighty  symbqlism of the
alone is at the helm'and He  cieated the heavens and            heavetily and better Jerusalem. Indeed, in the begin-
the earth exactly with a view to these things.           .      ning the Lord created the heavens and the earth, and
   .For this  reason? we may also declare  that God             this surely implies that the universe was perfectly
                                                                adapted unto the unfolding of God's eternal counsel.
created the heavens and the earth as a  symbol of the
heavenly  renewal of all things. The first man was                    This truth is also emphasized in a text as John
surely lord of `the earthly creation under God, servant         l':l-3 : "In the' beginning was the Word, and  the  Word
of the Lord,  ,God's covenanf-friend, the Lord's  prophet-      was with God, and the Word was God. The same was  J
priest-king to  know the Lord and to proclaim His vir-          in the beginning with  God. All things were made by
tues and declare the Name  ,of the living God. How-             Him; and without  J&m  gas not anything made that
ever, he was of  -the earth earthy, the first Adam, and         was made." Notice particularly in this text: In the
surely a figure of  Him.`Who was to come,  our.Lord             beginning was the Word. We do not read: Before
Jesus Christ, the  Lqrd out of heaven,' Immanuel, the           `the beginning, but:  In  the beginning. To be sure, ,
Second Adam, the Second Adam also in the sense that             this "Word" is the everlasting and eternal  :Son of
He is the. end,  .the final Adam, unto Whom  the.first          God, and  Z+S such He is before the beginning of the
Adam, was adapted. As such he is a figure of the                world. But the Word of John 1  :l-3 is also the Christ,
Christ, of  H&in Whom man would be -recreated to                Who is, to be sure, the eternal Son of God, but also
serve' Jehovah God in  immortaliti, in blessed,  heaven-        the blessed  ,Savior and Head of His Church. This
l$ life,  never, again to die and  -never again to be able      is  He- of Whom we read in Col.' 1:15-20 : "Who is the
to die. And not only is  Ad&m a figure of the Second            image `of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
Adam that was to come, but  also~all things are a figure        creature: For by Him were all things created, that
of the things that are to come. The.earthly Paradise            are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and in-
is a figure of the heavenly, also as far as the  ,Tree of       visible, whether  they be thrones, or dominions, or
Life is concerned which stood in the midst of the               princip&ties,  or powers: all things were created by
garden.    That Tree of  (Life was Adam's sanctuary             Him: And He is  be`fore all things, and by Him all
where the first man exercised fellowship- with the              things consist. And He is  tlie Head of the bddy, the
living `God.  Arid the fact that that tree stood in the         ,Church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from
midst of  the. garden emphasizes the truth that the             the dead ;  tha;2; in all things He might have the  pre:
blessed fellowship and `communion with_ the Lord                eminence.     For it pleased the Father that in Him
constituted for Adam the very heart and  cork of the.           should all fulness dwell  ;. And, having made peace            1
original Paradise. And when we read that the Tree               through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile
of Life also appears in the very midst of the heavenly          all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they
Jerusalem, the implication is surely that also of -the          be things in earth, or things  .in heaven." This Christ
heavenly Jerusalem the fellowship and communion                 is the Firstborn of every creature. In God's eternal
with the Lord is the very  heart and center. Yea,  the          counsel He stands at the center.; all things serve Him.
entire creation was  one tremendous symbol of  thB Supralapsaristically, He is' before- all things  ; sin and
heavenly  ; in  fact, the universe speaks one tremendous        misery  and death are sovereign means in God's good
symbolic language. In the world of colors we have               pleasure, with a view to Christ, the glorious Head
such colors  .as red, white, blue, etc., which colors  occur    of the Church. That Word was. "in the  beginning"-
reijeatedly in Holy Writ, also in connection with the           that is; when God  created  %he heavens and the earth,
tabernacle and temple of the Old Dispensation. That             He did so with a view to Christ. Christ is pot merely
the numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 and their various com-        a remedy, one who simply'does what Adam could  have
binations have  sigtiificance in Holy  Writ none would          done but failed to do. Christ is God's eternal Objec-
,deny; The sun is a mighty symbol of the Sun of                 tive. The earthly  tias first historically, but the heaven-
Righteousness, the moon and the stars symbolize the             ly is the Goal. Adam was first, historically, but he
                                                                \.


     874                                                       TtiE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                                                                                            `
                                                                                                                                            -
    must prepare the way for the  s.econ.d Adam, and the                                        the extremely high calling of the Church. True it is
     Lord made  all things  ho they could serve the heavenly                                    especially when we view the Church from the uni-
     renewal of all things in heavenly glory. `This truth                                       versal `holy catholic aspect, in which `the universal
    we must  coilstantly bear in mind. Then nothing hap-                                        body of Christ lies hidden in the denominational
    pens by chance. And if nothing happens by  Chance,                                          churches in the midst of the  wsrld. The picture often
 , but all things occur, also sin and death, according and                                      rises in my  mind of  .a thermometer, an upright glass
    by the sovereign will of the everlasting  ,God, then all                                    with a hollow center through which some medium
     is well, and the Church of God may have at all times                                       s'ensitive to heat and cold  flows. The more sensitive
 the  perfect and unspeakably glorious `assurance  tha.t                                        the Church is to the truth, the higher the  plane  .of
 she is always more  than conqueror through Him that                                            confessional: truth, and thus the higher the  record-
     loved her, the everlasting God in Jesus Christ her                                         ind registers upon the  denominational~  thermometer.
     Lord. We  have  then the victory, not only in spite                                        The question then  coyes,  what is our calling, for we
   of all the forces. of sin  .and death, but also through                                      confess, I confess that we belong to the Protestant
     them, inasmuch as, the Lord uses all things unto our, Reformed Churches, because we believe that in  th.eiu
     eternal salvation, also the sin of Adam and the  subse-                                    confessional standard they are nearest to the truth
     que& fall and corruption and death of the human                                            as it is revealed in God's Word. Right we are  and as
     race.                                                                                      such we are thoroughly  cdnvinced that we are at the
                                                                H. Veldman.                     top of the, ladder in the confessional  ptandard  of the
                                                                                                Church, and that it is our calling to continue to de-
                 .               an..                                                           velop this truth as God has revealed it to us.
                                                                                                   Thus our calling  neve'r ceases to be,  but always
                                 C o n t r i b u t i o n                                        continues to be to call our Brethren `to repentance,
                                                                                                and to come out  f.rom  .among those who ecclesiastically

                O U R   C&LLING   I S   T O   G O   F O R W A R D   ' and  confessionally are  Qrring from the truth, and to
                                                                                                come to  the full confession of the truth as we have it
          Below follows a copy of a letter that the writer                                      in our Churches, for the Scripture says that in unity
     wrote to one of his dear friends in our midst on Jan.                                      of  confessjon the Holy Catholic Church comes to-
     15th, 1950. And since the text of this letter is more                                      gether. We therefore `never come to a stage in which
     fitting even'today after only  onk year of history, he                                     we can say, our calling is  cbmpleted, no more do we
     ventures to proclaim it to all  our Churches as  a_ testi-                                 need to  c?y  against `the  error"s of  .those  who stand
     mony that the Synod of 1951 is in duty bound to go                                         lower on the confessional thermometer, who are sink-
     forward and  a'dopt the proposed declaration of prin-                                      ing deeper and deeper into error, it is now time that
     ciples.                                                                                    we forsake them  and- go to the heathen.
          Your welcome letter of Dec. 24th last was received                                       Neither are  ke as Protestant Reformed Churches
     and we were very glad indeed to receive it.                                      Old       called to fuse into one,, and knit together that which
     friendships as they are based upon the tie  that binds                                     on  the  confes&onal thermometer lies on different range
     certainly must continue: And as we stand within the                                        scales. For therein exactly God calls the Church, the
     walls of the Protestant Reformed  ,Churches,  .where                                       Institutional Denominational Churches whom He
     unity  qf faith and confession must manifest itself,                                       placed on the highest confessional scale to be faithful
    where old friendships ever remain fresh and new.                                            in calling the whole Church out from  am&g error,
     For the Old Fathers so truthfully taught  th&t  when                                       from all the churches, that there may  be'unity of con-
     heresy enters in at the door, love flies out through the                                   fession, and that the Holy Catholic Church may come
     window, and schism is  a!ways the result, of heresy.                                       together in one confession. This calling is never  real-
     And the fact that men do fail to think alike upon the                                      iied by fusing all the  denomin$ional churches into
     cardinal confessional standards of the Church Insti-                                       one  church at the cost of truth and by compromising
     tutional always results in disunity and schism.                                            with the confession.
          That is "why I am `thoroughly convinced that it is                                    The strength of a denominational ecclesiastical
     God's will that barriers and sharp lines of  demarca-                                      communion  oi Churches lies exactly in its unity of
   tion continue to exist  .at  the four corners of  the de-                                    confession. . That is why all the Reformed Church
     nominational life and confessions of our own Protest-                                      Fathers always warned against heresy and disunity
     ant Reformed Churches,. and that we  shoul,der to                                          of confession which destroy love and bring schism' in
     shoulder continue to develop the truth as we have  re-                                     the Church.
ceived   it;,  i n   t h e   h i s t o r i c a l   l i n e s   o f   t h e   R e f o r m e d       We are thus thoroughly convinced that, all the
     ChuTches.                                                                                  officebearers signatory to the  fokmula of  subser'ip-
            Beautifully do you state  .wheh you say in your                                     tion of the Protestant Reformed Churches are bound
     letter that maturity `developes the consciousness of                                       to faithfully defend teach and  preach.the confessional
                                                                                         ,
                                                                                                                                 I


                                        T H E ' S T A N D A R D                      BEARER                                           375

  standards as -they are based' upon the Word of God,           our  egisteice  as a separate comniunion of Protestant
  in the Prdtestant Reformed Churches. And  t$ey are            Refbrmed Churches.
 `called to do this  w$h all  their might inside of and              May God give grace  .and wisdom to the delegates
  outside of our Churches.                                      bf our 1951 Synod, upon whose shoulders rest the
    Secondly, since it is the peculiar calling of the           burden of preserving our precious  aheritage as Pro-
  Protestant Reformed Churches, to develop the doctrine         t e s t a n t   R e f o r m e d   C h u r c h e s .
  of Sovereign Grace, as  *God sovereignly bestows this                                                           5. H. Kortering.
  upon His elect children only, in. distinction from the
  false doctrine  of.  Common or general, grace upon the
  wicked reprobate, which the Christian Reformed Chur-
  ches elevated into an official dogma. By this action
  the Christian Reformed Churches became guilty of a                   Once Mbre -L The Promise
  great  schisin in the body of Christ, and occasioned
  the organization of our Protestant -Reformed  Chur-                1. According  to the Confessions and  the`&riptures
  &es.                                                          the promise of God as to the Form of its words is not
      Therefore our  ,very organization  W-as based upon a      an if-clause sentence. Hence, such a sentence as, "If
  denial  df the three points or tenets of  doctrine'which ybu believe, you will be saved," is not the promise.
  the Christian Reformed Church dogmatized as their             But the promise is simply, "1 the Lord will save you,
  official doctrine. Our very organization was a pro-           my people."
  test against these  thiee false tenets  .with all that was         According  tb' the Confessions.  _ Canons chap.  11,
  implied in both the preaching of  the. word and the           art. 5, "`Moreover, the  *promise of the gospel is,  thai
  sacraments. We became a protesting Reformed church,           whosoever believeth in Christ crucified  shall not perish
  protesting that the confessional standard of the three        but have everlasting life," meaning, all, everyone that
  forms of unity of the  Reformecl  Churches as these           believeth will be saved without a  single.exbeption. In'
  are based on the Scriptures, had no rooni for these           a  wor.d,  ,God will save  the elect, historically the believ-
 -three-false tenets adopted by the Christian Reformed          ers. Such is the promise.  lt is not, according to the
  Churches.         - .                                         Confessions, an if-clause sentence.
      Now after 25 years of history in the development               A.ccording to  thje  Scriptures. First, let us take
  of our Churches in  which we deny the principles em-          notice of the promise as first proclaimed by the Lord
  bodied in the three false tenets adopted. by the Chris-       Himself by His own voice immediately after the fall.
  tian Reformed Church, we hear clamorings. and see             Said the Lord to our fallen  and disobedient first par-
  writings in which men, want to understand fhe Liber-          ents : "And I will put enmity between thee and the
  ated when they teach  .that God wellmeaningly prom-           woman, and between thy seed  .and her seed  ; and it
  ises, to all children head for head, in  ,baptism,  the       shall bruiset hy head, and thou shalt bruise its heel."
  objective right to the forgiveness of- sins and eternal            This is a simple sentence. It is all promise.
  ,life, conditioned upon accepting the promise by faith.            The  protevlangel  is the seed of  -all the promises
      Here we have the same  f&se doctrine of 1924              spoken thereafter.  Hence,  ,nowhere in all the Scrip-
  again raising its head, only from a slightly different        tures is the promise of God as to the form of its words
  viewpoint. Then the lie. centralized around common            such an if-clause  .sent&ce.
  or general  gyace, and the  wellLmeant  offer of sal-              In proclaiming to  N%ah the promise, God  said\not
  vation on the part of  .God to all that hear the preach-      to him, `"I will establish my covenant with  you,  if you
  ing of the Word. Now it centralizes around the prom-          believe". But he said, "I will establish my covenant
  ise in baptism, but essentially they are one.                 with you."  peribd. And then the Lord  went on to-say
      If it is true, and I am  thqr.oughly convinced that       ambng other things, "`I do set my bow in the cloud,
  it is true, upon the basis of Scripture, that God hates       and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me  `-
  the  wicked every day, is never favorably inclined to         and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when `I
  them, causes the  smshine and the rain and all the            bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be  seeti
. fatnesp of the earth to work to their destruction, then       in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant, which
  it is equally true that He does not promise them what         is between me  .and  jrou  2nd every living creature of all
  the Liberated try to establish in their dogma of  bap-        flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to
  tism, when these same reprobate wicked receive the            destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud  ;
  sacrament of baptism in. infancy..                            and I will look upon  i,t, that 1 may remember the ever-
      Our ,-calling as Protestant  Refoimed Churches is         lasting covenant between God  and every living crea-
  to go forward. Not to go backward. Not to deny                ture of all flesh  that is upon the earth." This is the
  what  ,we have  &lready~estabiisk;ed as truth at the cost     promise as it came to Noah.
  of our separation, and-which has  becorn: -the cause of            What was the promise to  IAbraham? Said the


3 7 6                                   T H E ' S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

Lord to him, "I will make of thee a great nation, and             Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance incorruptible,
will bless thee,  if  thou believest,  if  thou walkest before    and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for  yen
my face and art upright  ,?" Nay, but this was the word            (1 Pet.' 1). And finally this word of promise (Col.  3),
of God to Abraham, "I will make of thee a great  na- "For ye are  ,dead, and your life is hidden with Christ
tion, and I will bless thee, and make thy na-me great;            in `God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
and thou shalt be`a blessing : and I will bless them that         then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
bless thee, and curse him that  curseth thee : and in thee            The promise of the gospel is  <not an if-clause sen-
shall `all the families of the earth be. blessed." and here       tence.; It is not a sentence the apodasis of which is
the Lord again put the period. This is the promise as             the promise pivoted on some such if-clause as, "if you
it came to Abraham. The writer of the Hebrews tells               believe". As was stated, "if you believe, you will be
us that it is the promise. Says this writer, "For when            saved," is not the prom&e.
God made promise to Abraham," mark you,  pror;izise,                  This, of course, is not denying that such state-
"beeause he could sware by no greater, he sware by                ments as, "If you believe you will be saved," do not
Himself, saying, "Surely, blessing `I will bless thee,            occur, in the Scriptures.  Factis that the Bible is re-
and  multiplying I will multiply thee:" Such is the               plete  iwith them. We have. Isaiah declaring in the
promise as it came to Abraham.                                    name of the Lord to the Israelites indiscriminately,
   And what said the Lord-to Jacob in the vision, to              "If  ye.be  willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of
the ill-deserving Jacob on his way to  Padan-aram flee-           the land, but  ,if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be de-
ing from the results of his sin? It  .is this, "I am the          voured by the sword." And so Paul to the brethren .
Lord God of Abraham thy father, `and the God of                   of the-church at Rome, "Therefore, brethren, we are
Isaac : the land whereon thou liest, to  thee? will I give        debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.      For
it, and to thy seed,; and thy seed shall be as the dust           if  ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but  if  ye through
of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,           the spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh; ye shall
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south:              live" (8  :12, 13).    Certainly, this must be declared
and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the         unto every man, reprobate and elect alike,  to- whom
earth blessed. And behold, I am with thee, and will               God sends the gospel. That certainly is the duty  and-
keep thee in all the places whither thou goest, and will          calling of every human preacher of the gospel,  n.amely,
bring thee again into this land ; for I will not leave            to declare unto all persons promiscuously the command
thee, until I have done that which I have spoken unto             to believe, and further also to declare unto  all persons
thee." No such if-clause as, "if thou believest", once            promiscuously that the believers have eternal life, so
appears in this entire communication. For it is the               that, if a man believes he will be saved, but that, if
promise that Jacob hears.                                         ,he believes not,  he, will be damned.    -
   And so again to Jacob by the voice of the prophet                ,  ' Let us take notice: if a `man believes, that `is.
(Isa.  44)) "Yet now hear,  ,O Jacob  .my servant; and            in  case he believes, but not certainly "op  voorwaarde",
Israel whom I have chosen  ; thus saith the Lord that             on condition,  that he believes. The above message
made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will              places every man who hears the gospel under the obli-,
help thee; fear not, 0 Jacob, my servant, and thou,               gation to believe. What is more, it throws all the
Jesurum, whom I have chosen.  %or I will pour water               blame on the disobedient. for the fact of their perish-
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry                 ing to their unbelief, and it thus completely exculpates
ground  ; I will pour my Spirit-upon thy seed, and my             G o d .                \
blessing upon thine offspring; and they shall spring                  But to  tall this "if" statement-if you believe, you
up as among the grass, as willows by the water                    will be saved-the promise is a serious error.            And
courses," and in a like vein. in the chapter immediately          the reasons are the following:
preceding (43) "But now thus saith the Lord who                           First, consider to whom the promise is given.
created thee, 0 Jacob, and he that formed thee,  0                `The promise is given to Jacob.  :(See the Scriptures
Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have                quoted above). And who is Jacob? Jacob is Christ,
called thee by name ; thou art mine. When thou passest            and secondarily the church of the elect, historically
through the waters, I. will be with thee  ; and through           the believers. Think then what it would mean, were
the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when, thou             this "if" statement-if you believe, you will be saved
walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned  ;             -the promise, actually the promise. It would mean
neither shall the flame. be kindled upon thee," and so            that `God through the ages addressed and is still ad-
on through verse 7. And so again to Jacob-the church              dressing and will continue to address through the ages
of God-by the pen of the apostle Peter, "Blessed be               to come, to Jacob, that is, to Christ and the church
the  ,God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which              of the elect, historically  the. believers the following
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us                  speech : "But now thus saith the Lord who created
again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus             thee, 0 Jacob, and he that formed thee,  10 Israel, fear


                                        TH.E.-.  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            397

  not: for I have `redeemed thee, I have called thee by            witness with his spirit that he is  ,God:s son.
  name, that is, if thou believest, but if thou beljevest             But there is now this question: From where does
  not, `thou, Jacob, Christ, the. -church  ,of the elect are       the Holy Spirit derive the content of His witnessing
  damned.". And further, "When  thou passest through               with the spirit of the believer that he is God's son?
  the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers,         There is but one answer. From the Holy Scriptures
  they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest                  and `from the Scriptures  alone,~ and  l2ius  also from the
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned  ; neither              sermons of the human  proelamator of the Gospel, if
  shall the flame be kindled upon thee, that  -is, if thou         he truly proclaims the gospel and proclaims it purely.
  believeth, Jacob, but if thou dost  not believe, thou               And this brings us to the question: what is the
  shalt be damned." And further, (Isaiah 43  :3) "For              proper content of this witnessing of the Spirit? The
  I am the Lord thy' ,God, the holy one of Israel, thy             proper content of this witnessing is not the com-
  Savior, that is, if thou believest, Jacob, but if thou           mand to believe in Christ. True, the' Holy Spirit is
  believest,.not, thou shalt be damned." And further,              in the need of this command to save His people. By
  (verse 4) "Since' thou wast precious in my sight, thou           speaking this command in their hearts, he fixes their
  hast been honorable, and I have loved thee, that if, if          gaze? steadily  -upon  Christ. And as looking to Christ
  thou believest, Jacob, but if thou' dost not believe, thou       .and to Christ only, they receive in their  .hearts the'
  shalt be damned." And finally, "`Therefore will I give           testimony of God that they are justified and saved.
. men for thee, and people for' thy life, that is, Jacob,          Yet, certainly, this command  to, believe is not the
  if thou believest, but if thou believest not, thou shalt         promise. It is not therefore the'proper content of this
  be damned."                                                      witnessing of the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit. speaks
      It ought to be clear that the promise to Jacob-can-          this command also in the hearts of the reprobated, but
  not be pivoted on some such "if" clause as  "If.  thou           unto their damnation,  By this command He hardens
h believest." Tha,t ought to be clear. It ought to be clear        them in preparation of their everlasting destiny.
  that as pivoted on such an `"if" clause, the promise to             Neither does this "if" declaration,  "If you b&eve
  Jacob is not  any.longer a promise. True it is that-in           in Christ, you will be saved," form the proper  :don-
 addition to declaring to Abraham, `"I. am thy God and             tent of this witnessing of the Holy Spirit. True, as
  the God of `thy (spiritual) seed, the Lord also com-             proclaimed, it is a joyful sound in the ears of God's
  m a n d e d   h i m :"Walk before my face and be upright."       believing people.    But it is to them such a joyful
  But this  Fommand  coming, as it always does, to  Godts          sound only because they have received of God testi-
  redeemed and, spiritually living people, must' not be            mony that they are His children. And let us consider
  converted into an "if" clause, -and as so converted              that the Holy Spirit speaks also this  "if" declaration,'
  added as a pivot to the promise thereby making it  .to           "if you believe, you will be saved, but if you do  .not
  read, "Abraham, I am thy God-the God of thy salva-               believe, you will be damned," in  the. hearts of the repro-
  tion-,  if  thou believest; but  if  thou  -dost not believe,    bated, His purpose being, as already has been explain-
  I am thy  .adversary  to destroy thee." This is not the          ed, to render them responsible and without excuse in
  promise, no matter how that "if" me interpreted.                 the final day of judgment.
     `In the first place, such a deelaration could not  post           What then is the proper content of this `witnessing
  sibly serve the purpose of  a,promise.  Let us consider          of the Holy Spirit? Precisely this  "if-less,`j this un-
  that the believer_ has need of knowing that he is' a             conditional promise of God," I am the God of thy  sal-
saved  child of God. And there is but one Who  can tell            vaDion."
  him so that he believes and is assured-and that one                 You have a son of let us say eight years who on a
  is God.    And God does tell him in  `cor?nectjon,  of           day comes home from school. looking very sad because.          .
  course, with his fruitbearing as a regenerated person,           the boys at school have been telling him that he is an
  ithus in connection with his  penitance  and,.contrition         adopted son  of. yours, and thus not your very own
  of heart, in connection with his steadily fixing his eye         flesh and  blo,od. Would you think to reassure your
  upon the  cruicified, risen and glorified Christ, the only       child by  some- such statement as "You  dare our son,
  hope for a condemnable, lost and undone sinner,  ' in            flesh of our-flesh, if you behave, otherwise not."  .That
  connection with his crucifying his members which `are            would be a cruel answer. What assurance would there
  upon the earth and his putting on Christ, and  in'"ijon-         be for the child in such a statement? None what-
  nection with his fighting the good fight of  faith as            ever. Well do you realize. So as a good parent you
; bearing the reproach of Christ. In connection  w'ith             look down into the eyes of your child, and say to him,
this his fruitbearing-the work of -Christ's Spirit in              "Believe  me,- my child, you are our son, our very own
  him,-the believer receives from his God the testi-               flesh and blood," and right here you put the point,
  mony in-his heart that he pleases God and is saved               and your child believes you.
  for Christ's sake, which is but -another way of saying              It would be a sad thing indeed, wouldn't it, if all
  that in the language of Paul, the Holy Spirit beareth            that the Heavenly Father had to say to His children is,
                                                                                                                         -<

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

"If you believe, you are my sons. If you do not be-:         according to which testimony of  -the Gospel,  ,God will
lieve, you are damned."                                      judge them, both in this, and in the life  tobcome.
       But God does have more. to say to His own  ehild-        The human proclamator of the Word must proclaim
ren, to His redeemed ones. In the Scriptures from            the Gospel as the Holy Spirit proclaims it in the Scrip-
Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit sets before Him       tures.    Setting before him in His sermons both the
these children. He sets before Him the elect, historic-      elect and the reprobated, the believers and the  nn-
ally the believers, and directs to them the promise,         believers, he must direct to each the message that the
`the "if-less" and on this account the unconditional         Spirit in the Scriptures directs to each. `Then only
promise-for there is none other. "I am your  :God,"          -.does he preach `the  Gosjpel, the full-orbed Gospel, but
He says to them,  "your Father in Christ, the  ,God of       not- otherwise.     Then only is his preaching what it
your salvation." And here He. puts the period.               must be-a two-edged sword. Then only is the king-
       But He does more than this. He commands His           dom of heaven opened to the believers and closed to
servants, the human preachers of the gospel, to follow       the unbelievers. Then only are God's believing people
the example that He sets them in the Scriptures. Thus        being assured, comforted, instructed and built up in
He commands them that they, too, set'before them in          the faith.
their sermons the elect of God, historically the be-            The task of the human preacher of the Word is
lievers, and address to  themsthe promise of God, the        plain. His task is to preach sermons from which the
"if-less", the unconditional promise of  ,God-there   `is    Holy Spirit can derive  olentiful content for His bear-
none other. These servants, of course,  d.o not know         ing witness with the spirit of the believers that they
who the elect are. But it does not matter. The Spirit        are the children of God and `also sufficient content for
does. For He knows the heart. And the Spirit, who            His testifying in the consciousness  of. the unbelievers
is the only preacher of the Word, speaks this promise,       that "they are exposed to the wrath of  God,.and eter-
-this "if-less," unconditional promise-there is none         nal condemnation, so long as they are unconverted."
other-in the hearts of His children. So, by speaking             From all that is presented above it ought to be
this "if-less," conditional promise  - other promise         plain that the promise of God is and must necessarily
there.  !s not-in the hearts of His people, does the         be "if-less", and therefore of necessity unconditional,  .-
Spirit bear witness with their spirit that they  `are the    and a gospel, a good news, for the elect only. To them
sons of God.                                                 only is the promise.                     \
       And as it is the duty and calling of the human           And  L how about such  "if:' statements  `as "if `you
preachers of  the. Word to set before him the elect,         believe, `you will be saved  ?" As was stated, the Scrip-
so is it likewise his  calling\`to  set before him in his    tures is replete with them. And they must be preach-
sermon the wicked and the reprobated and speak to            ed for a reason already stated. But certainly there is
them the very word that the  Spirit  directs to them in      no' need at all of making the "ifs" in such statements
the Scriptures.                                              to mean "condition", "voorwaarde". These "ifs" are
       It raises the question whether the human preacher     not conditions. And nothing is gained by  m,aking
of the word must come with two messages, one for             them  so; `Certainly it need. not be done for peda-
the elect, historically the believers, and another. for      gogical reasons.  IMaking  these "ifs"' to mean con-
the wicked and impenitent.- Indeed he must. So our           ditions is only loss. What is lost is the truly reformed
Confessions teach.             '                             position.
       Qu.  83, of the Catechism. What are the keys. of         Nor must these "if" declarations be called promises -
the kingdom of heaven?                                       of God. For according to the Scriptures and the Con-
       Ans. The preaching of the Holy Gospel, and Chris-     fessions, the promise of  ,God bequeaths upon those to
tian discipline, or excommunication out of the Chris-        whom `it is given a legal claim upon salvation and
tian church  ;-by these two, the kingdom of heaven is        accordingly the `right to hope for it.  `_ Hence, whereas
opened to believers and shut to unbelievers.                 these "if" declarations are personal addresses directed
       Qu. 84. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and       to all, reprobate as well as the elect, it follows that to
shut by the preaching of the Holy Gospel?'                   call these declarations promises of God is to say that
   .Ans, Thus: when according to the command of              they bequeath also upon the reprobated .a claim upon
Christ, it is declared and publicly testified to all be-     salvation`and accordingly the right to be saved..             ,
lievers, that, whenever they receive the promise  of, the       But this raises questions.
Gospel by a true faith, all their sins are really for-          ,First, how can  ,God bequeath also upon the repro-
given them of God, for the sake of Christ's merits ;         bated a claim upon salvation, if Christ  /died only for
and on the contrary, when it is declared and testified       the elect?     '
to all unbelievers, and such as do not sincerely repent,        Second, if God bequeaths upon the reprobated the
that they stand exposed to the wrath of God, and eter-       right to be' saved, why then do they perish? There
nal condemnation, so long as they are  unqonverted:          can  be but one answer:  either God is unfaithful to
                                                                                         :


                                                                          T H E        STANDARD   BEAktiR                                        3 7 9

           His promises regarding the reprobated, or he is power-
           less to save them, which would mean that God is not
           the sovereign Lord  pf the perverse will of the creature,                         FRtiMk  H.OLY  WI$IT
           but this will the lord of God.
                    What then are these "if" statements, if they. are
           not promises? They are simply statements of the fact                                   Expositibn \of Romans 6:1-14
           that if a man believes he will be saved, but that if he
           believes not, he will be damned.                                                                              I I .
                    I place this article in this issue of the  St.andard                       The main thrust  of* our  f.ormer article on Romans
           Bearer with a view to our coming Synod. As a dele-                                6  :l-14 was, that the redeemed and justified believer
           gate to Synod I shall go to Synod as armed with the                               indeed experiences, that where sin abounds grace does
           argument of this article. Let the brethren-delegates much more abound  ; however, this in no way, estab-
           to Synod-make a study of it, and, if they can, over-                              lishes the erroneous principle of antinomism in the
           turn it.           If they can't overturn it,  then Declaration                   Christian, so that his life and practice is to sin in order
           certainly should be adopted. For if this argument is                              that grace may abound, or to state it from the view-
           true, then nevertheless to reject the "Declaration" is                            point of the believer :  let- us remain in sin in order that
           to open wide the doors of our churches to most serious                            grace may become more abundant in our lives.
           doctrinal errors, talk as we may.                                      '             Overagainst all this we have seen that the very
                    And let us not  imagine,that  in -arguing the points                     opposite is the  ,truth of the Gospel-in Christ, and that
           involved is to be wasting time in what is called hair-                            the very opposite is also true in the redeemed child of
           splitting argument.             The issue on which our present                    God. It is impossible, that they, who, are ingrafted
      controversy turns is truly faundamental. It is very                                    into Christ by a true faith, should not bring forth
           actually none other than this, namely, whether there                              fruits in thankfulness for such great redemptive love!
           really is such a thing as a Gospel of God, and if so, Such is the very outcry of faith. It is faith's abhor-
           whether this `Gospel is to be or not to be in our circles. ' ante of sin as it clings to Christ our righteousness.
     . As I see it, the view according to which the promise of                                  That was the main thrust of our former article.
           God is pivoted on an "if" cuts the very gospel out of the                            L.et us now proceed.
           Scriptures conceptionally and thereby renders them ab-                               First of all we would remark, that although it is
           solutely "gospel-less". If I am mistaken, let the breth-                          true, that in our former article we gleaned the truth
           ren then make this plain to me on the coming Synod by                             contained in the verses 3-7 of this chapter to show
I          overturning with the Scriptures the argument of this                              the  Christological background of this "God forbid",
           article.                                                                          we nevertheless did not enter into the teaching of these
                    It will not do of course to distinguish between  the                     verses themselves. And, therefore, the task of giving
           promise of God and a promise of God, and then to                                  a brief exposition of the Apostle's argument still
           maintain that  the  promise of  #God is this "if-less", un,                       awaits us; we still must demonstrate-from these verses
           conditional declaration, "I am the  ,God of thy salvation                         how that it is utterly impossible from the standpoint
           in Christ Jesus," and that this so-called a promise of                            of living faith to ever will to walk and remain in sin
           God is. this "if" statement,  "If  you believe you will be                        that grace may abound.
           saved." To so reason is simply to smuggle into our                                   The verses 3-7 read as follows,  "Or are  ye ignorant
           churches through their  backdoor the very view of                                 that all we who tieze baptized into Chkst Jesais were
           things that was first cast out through their front door;                          baptized into His  death? We  w,ere  buried  therefore
           it is to retrieve what was first repudiated. It is a with him through baptism into  okth: that like as
           doing like that of a dog returning to its vomit.
              4                                                                              Christ was raised from the dead through the. glory of
                                                                           G. M. Ophoff.     the Father, so we also might walk i;i newness of life.
                                                                                             For if we huae become united wit& him iOn the likeness
                                          Q          :fi     *.*                             of  hii death, we shill be also in the likeness  of  his
                                                                                             resurrection; ,&owing this, that our old man was cruci-
                                        IN MEMORIAM                                          fied with him, that the body of sin might be done away,
      3      The Consistory -of the First Protestant Reformed Church of                      that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for
           Grand Rapids, Michigan  eipresses sincere sympathy to  ,its                       he that died is justified from sin.."
           fellow members Mr. George Vink and Mr. Louis Vink, in the
           loss of their mother,                .                                               First of all we would call attention to the implica-
                                                                                             tion of the teaching of the apostle in verse 3. We
                                      iWrs.     `Conelius                 Vink               would call attention to the following elements here:
           May they  habe  the. blessed assurance that she has entered
           into the eternal rest                                                                In the first place, we should notice, that the apostle
                         I                                      H. Hoeksema, Pres.           here asks a very pointed question; it is a question
             . .                                             .  J. M, Faber, Clerk,          which would prove very embarrassing, if not worse,
                                                                    I.


                              _--
  380                                         T H 'E   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER

  to anyone  ,who would be necessitated  $0 answer  .it  .in         partakes  by a living'faith of all His benefits? I would
  the affirmative. Forsoothe he,  ,who would say: I was              answer: of course not! But I hasten to add: let us
  indeed ignorant of the implication of baptism, will  feel          not  &et off on a tangent. Let  us hew  a closely to the
  that  he has never understood as a living  e%periMce               line  .drawn here  ,by- the  Spi+t-led writer. And then
  the passionate `"God forbid!" of  t&e apostle;  -Such a .I  .would call attention to the following in this connec-
  person  has"never felt  6hk holy disapproval  in+&& soul           tion :
  at the very suggestion of reveling in iniquity in  drder            ' 1. I would make a' couple  of--remarks of a nega-
  that forgiving grace  lizight abound. Indeed, this ques-           tive nature. If it is true that Paul does not dis-
  tion of Paul is arresting to say the least.. It  <calls us         tinguish between the sign and the thing signified in
' to our spiritual senses!           Then too  :there are various    this passage,  then we must not come with the ob-
  aspects of this  questiop that we ought to' study a bit            jection: but all  ivho are baptized do not really re-
  more closely.         We should surely notice, that Paul, ceive  the benefits of Christ. Such an objection is
  makes the matter of the believer's  -attitude toward sin           entirely beside the point from an exegetical viewpoint.
  and grace from the. very outset  d,epend on  reality of            Let us put that. objection entirely out of `our minds.
  the truth as it is in Jesus, and of our new relationship           On -the other, hand, we  shduld also be careful not to
  to this Jesus, as we have been baptized  :.into Him.               read more into the apostle's keeping the. sign and the
  Paul appeals  no% to the old man, he does not' seek his            thing  sigliified  `in its wondrous unity, than what the
  point of contact with the "common  .rationality", but              Holy Spirit intended.
  he seeks the point of contact in the solid `work of
  Christ. Be seeks  h<s point of departure in  Jhe reality               2. And now let  us  look at the  text. In  +he first
  that has come to be  our portion in baptism; As many               place  iet us  not&,  that the apostle does not' speak
  as we are  baplized  info Christ we have bekn'baptized             here in  <he third person when he says  "as  mainy  #as
  into His death  !-                                                 ye  baptiz,ed.  .   .   .", but  th& he is speaking in  the
                                                                     first  person. He says:  we! That makes this saying
     `Such is the point of departure of the apostle in this. of Paul very concrete. What he says of-baptism has
  closely interwoven argument.  As; m&y as we  have                  really taken place to all those here spoken of.  Pail1
  been  ba$iz.ed   into Christ  Jesti, we  have been baptized
  into His death!                                                    does not here  sajr : As many as have been  baptized
                                                                     with the  ext,e&aZ  rite have, been raised with Christ!
    The second;  element here in this argument of the                He says  :,  as,many as we have been baptized  into Christ
  apostle is that  .he refers to our having been baptized            Jesus, we have been baptized into His death! What
  into Christ as tantamount to baptism into the vicarious            Paul here says is true'in the following counts :
  and sin-destroying death of Christ!                                    a. Paul is here speaking of the faithful  .church,
     We ask: what  do& the apostle mean here when he                 the true believe@, including himself as one in whom
  speaks of baptism?, Does he refer merely  to the rite              the grace of  ,God became manifested. Says Calvin in
  of baptism, or does  h$: refer to  that  .which is signified
                                                               ,'    regard -to this matter in his Commentary: "Farther,
  and sealed- in baptism?                                            it is not to the point to say, that this power is not  ~
     To  ihis we answer, that we are  cpnvinced that the             apparent in all the baptized  ; for Paul, according to
  apostle  does here not distinguish  biefween  the symbol           his usual manner, where he speaks of the  ,faithful,
  of baptism and that wh.ich it represents. It is impor-             connects the reality and the effect with the outward
  tant to, notice this. The Holy Scriptures never "dog-              sign; for we know that whatever the  L&d offers by
  matize"  in. the sense that we do. We  always are in-              the visible symbol is conformed and ratified by their
  clined, with our  learned'(  ?) heads, to seek between             faith." Also Calvin regards the apostle as' addiessing
  the sign and the thing signified.  That is what our                the  church as the faithful ones, who understand by
  `"platonic", our abstracting minds do. It pulls apart              faith the implication of  grsce, as this excludes the
  what  ,God has joined together. And, let me add, that              incentive to sin. Sign and thing signified belong to-
  I believe that this is not only a  grea$ and vain evil             gether. Let us not pull apart what God has  joined
  under the sun, but it is a great  evil of the theblogians.         t o g e t h e r .
  However,, Paul does not here thus dogmatize, neither                   b. He  his speaking of this  faithfu!  chtirch as she
  does he thus  theologke! Paul simply  lets  `the sign of           has been not simply  baptizkd, but as she has been
  baptism and the reality of it stand in  its `unbroken              baptkd into Christ,  and thereby baptized  into His
  unity. Shall we do  sb too?                           -            death.  Someone may interpolate and `say:  th'ere you
     What ihe'n ?                                        ._          have it! Sign and thing signified are not separated
         Someone' may say : but is it true  then.that  every-        by  Paul, and  fience  he. who  ha$ the  sigfi, the symbol,
 one, who receives the rite  of baptism, which obsignates            also has the things signified. But I answer: that does
  the dying with Jesus, and the rising  with?.  Rim in               not follow, and `what is more Paul does not say this.
  newness of life, also really is baptized  into*..Christ  and       Let us not carry our hastily  ,and erroneously drawn
                                                        " .


                                                     .T.HE.   S T A N D A R D   BEA&ER                                                       *          881 .  -
       0




      conclusions into  Paul's   meaning. As for  !us, we be-
      lieve that the text  simply:emphasizes  the fact,  that
      the sign and the  t$hin&signified in the case of everyone                                       IN-lfIIS  F E A R
      that is  baptized into Christ by a true  faith,  -rn&ns
      that he is baptized into the death of Christ,                                         Church Membership In Hii Fear
                  c.  It- is also noteworthy that Paul employs a tense
      from' the verb in the  Gr.eek, -that- emphasizes the' fact-                                                           12.
      ness of what had taken  pl+ce in the baptism  -of every                                                         -WHERE?
 *one who believes. He is baptized into Jesus Christ:                                      Wozshipping   the  I n s t i t u t e . ' .   ~
      That is a fact. And in this baptism  fnto Christ  we
      are baptized into Jesus Christ. That  too'isya  fact:                           _        Iti~regard to  th;  quest&n under discussion, "Where
                                                                                      must I join myself. as church member?" there are
       To this there are no exceptions.  "As  $iiny  as  w$' others who assume an attitude of implicit trust in
      were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into  HiB                           the particular church of which they are members.
      de&h." There are no exceptions to this rule.  It' is                            They take the position. that the particular church to
      not thus, that  s%me can appeal to baptism into  Chr@$                          which they belong cannot make a mistake, and they
-. as though this were not a  baptism  into Christ's  death,
      as                                                                              simply take their stand without question on what-
             the destrtiction  of sin. The rule is universal!                         ever happens to  be the position of that church. `They
                  From this  va&agezpoiit, from this solid' point of                  trust in a certain institution. They were born in
      departure the apostle can state what we read in verse 4,                        &hat church;  the@ parents and grandparents before
      `nameiy  "We were buried therefore with Him throzigh                            them were members of  the same church. They could
      baptism into death; that  l&e as Christ was raised                              not possibly- think of leaving that church.                 Thei?
      from the dead by the glory of the Fatheir; so we also                           church is right and that is' the end of the  argu-
      might walk in newness of' life."                                                m          e    n     t    .
       T h e   v e r y   op;pdsite   o f   w a l k i n g ,   o f   cbntinuing  t o             Of course, if you  ~put the matter in that language,
      walk in sin is the case with  as many as  were baptized                         you probably would not find  so. many that admit  .that
      into Christ. It means that we were buried with Christ                           to be  their position, that is, outside of the Romish
      through  Baptism.  Through the  opekation of the Holy                           Chuseh.  We all recognize at once that this is essen-  '
      Spirit sin with its attendant guilt  htis gone into  the                        tially the position of the Romish Church, in which .
      grape. It is the proof that in our evaluation of self                           the_ pope is infallible  &t matters of ddctqine, and in  _
      we have really died. And  .this is obsignated in bap-                           which many other sources are recognized as infal-
      tism. Oh it was magnificent power that raised us up                             lible for faith and- practice besides Holy Scripture.
      from the  grave. It was the almighty power of God. For                          But although you might find few  .who would bluntly
      the almighty power of God brought -forth Jesus from                             state that their particular church is infallible, yet
      the  grdve. That power  is the manifestation of the                             in actual practice there are many who take that posi-
      L`giory71  of God. Such a `display of Divine glory  &so tion, or tend  to take it. They are more or less  ignor-
"was operative in` us when  we"were spiritually brought                               ant  of their church's  do&final  stand.               They don't
      forth from the grave with Christ. It is by virtue. of                           take the  t&e, or they lack the ambition  or'+hat is
      this  po;wer that we walk in newness of life.                                   more to the point-the interest to investigate any
 "                This newness of life is not a  n&e  keeping'of the                  issue. `They assume that their  leadeis, their minister,
      law  ,as of necessity. It is the keeping of the law from                        their  theologiags, must  ,certainly know. A.nd especially.
      thankfulness that constitutes this walking in "newness                          if a minority takes a different  ,.position, they simply
      .of  -life".       Old. things; have indeed passed away,  2nd                   conclude that when so many important  lest  lers,  sch?l- '
      all `things have become new.                                                    a&, theological giants say  somethi?g,  it must:. be
                                                                                                                                                  I,
                                                                              \       true, and the minority can't be  riglit. The  minority
                  Of this we  mu& not be ignorant.                                    is castigated as  troublesoie, schismatic, and  w.h@
             Lest we be ignorant of this, we write on this truth.                     have you. And the church is to  ,a11 practical  i&en@,                   I
      The more we are  cogniza& of  the implication of our                            and purposes upheld as infallible. Sometimes you will
      baptism, the more we shall  also aspire to walk in                              find. people who drift. along with their church. so  li+-
      newness. of life. Being  raised with Christ by faith                            lessly that they `have not  thb slightest acquaintance
      to a new consciousness we shall surely seek the  things. even with  contr&ersial  issues.
      above where Christ is.              No one will then want to                            Add a little sentiment to this position, and the
 -return to sin like the washed sow to her wallowing .wbeful picture is complete. "I was born. and reared
      in the mire!               -                                                    in this church. Here I was baptized. Here I had a!!
             I                                       Gee.  G; Lubbers.                my catechism. Here I made confession of faith. And
                                                                                      I  have been member here, lo, these many years.  $k-


                                         .-
            382               .*               I
I  `.       -                                         T H E      S.TAND-ARD   B E A R E R   ,                                             0
           sides, all my family, is here. They have grown up in ' instructed in their youth; perhaps  ; and they grew up
           this church, intermarried with its  members, and  are            ignorant.  : Or they came into the church from the. out-
           well established here. It would be so hard for  me to            side, possibly for the sake of family  #peace when they
         '  k&ve.     They wouldn't come along with me. Even                were married.              They cared  .not for the truth ever.
          ,my wife wants to stay here.              So I had better stay    But they "went along". Or else they belong because
          too."      By  such. one is  almost moved to tears of pity, it is the fashion to belong to some church or other.
           and would well-nigh advise the poor  man to stay.                Or pdssibly they  don3 want to be ostracized by -their
                 Now, we certainly must not be imbued with a                own family. Or there may be other reasons, a hundred
           revblutionary and anarchistic spirit in this  mat,&  of. a n d   o n e .
           church membership.        It certainly  -must be admitted           "But such are traditionally indifferent. `They don't
           and emphasized that there is enough lack of respect. want to investigate. `They don't care whether they
           for the cliurch institute in our day without adding to           belong  her.e or there. They don't' even assume that.
           it. There is already too much of the spirit of  "W'hat their church is  ri`ght,-or wrong, as the case may be.
           right has the church to  iell me what to do?" There              They don't put their trust  .in anything, not  even.`in
           is far  too.much rust collected on the  keys'of the king-        God. They are  siinply church members. Maybe the
         dom, on the  one-.halid;  and on the other, there is too           church can serve them at  the time of baptism,  mar-.
           much scorn for'the power of- those  keys.                        riage and,  death;           ,It's a convenient `thing to be a
                 But. our respect for the church institute must be          church member.                              .
           a  wholesome  one.  Tf in  our; subjection  td the insti- The, spirit is more  ramparit than we are aware
           tute we cannot say that essentially we are  beirig  sub-- sometimes. And to mention it is to criticize `it. For
           ject to  ,Christ,  &s He is revealed in His Word, -then          the trouble with this type is that there is not the  yues-
           we become guilty of  idol worship. Whoever assumes \ tion of my title, "Where?"
           the  attittide that their particular church is infallible,            Thejr are traditionally indifferent.
           is guilty of putting his trust in men, in an institution,
           in `a certain church organization.           And to put our      Pious Indifference.  "
           trust in anyone or anything next to  dr beside the                    There is another type of indifference, however,
           one true God as He has revealed Himself in His Word              which  .s,ometimes appears to  be more insidious, be-
          is idolatry. Hence, while those who freely and thought-           cause it is more alluring. It' is the attitude" of those
         lessly and carnally work schism in the church or jump. who recognize  the question, "Where"? but who belittle
          -denominational  boundaries without a care are cer-               its importance. To them it really makes no  differ-
           tainly to  be.censured, those who refuse. to admit that pence to what church one belongs. They simply want
          their particular church could  errs are equally guilty            to believe  in-Christ,  and do not want to limit  salva.tion
           of lack of respect  for the' church  9nstitute.                  to a peculiar church denomination. People from every
                 For all of history teaches us, from the time of the        church will be saved. And we certainly, so they often
           apostles onward, how easy it is for a certain church -speak, do riot want  $0 condemn everyone to  hell who
           ih'the  Gorld to err,  $6 apostatize  from'the faith, and        does not  beloig to  oui church.  And so: "What's  the
           even to  hecome wholly  corrutt. Was it not  Jeru$alem           d i f f e r e n c e ? "        a
           `already in the time of our Savior's sojourn that had                 lone very obvious- difficulty presents itself when
           become Babylon;  and had denied the Son of God  Him;             this position is applied to those who belong to a  ,church
           self, nailing Him  to the accursed- tree? The whole              that; denies the faith of.  our Lord Jesus Christ. And  '
         a doctrine of an infallible institute is brought to ruin           if, in  the light of this  difficulty,  the position is never-
         at Golgotha. .And one needs but to consult the  var-               theless maintained that also in such a church people
           iotis epistles to find numerous examples of churches,. 8 are  save.d, then the whole doctrine of the  eh&ch lies
           particularly  local congregations that erred and  aposta-        in ruin, is at loose  en&. Then `there is no need of a
           tized.  ;+ It is Jerusalem especially, as she is on  earth,      church at all anymore.
           represerited  by a -local church or denomination, that                But a more  serious and less understood objection
           becomes Babylon, and that  then.denies  the truth, perse- to this  vi'ew is that the question of salvation is `after
           cutes the faithful,  * and gives rise to the Antichrist.         811 riot the  pr%%ary-  question in this whole matter of
           That  ,Jerusalem, and her children  ,with her,  shall the church. There is far  too'  m&h  of that utilitarian-
           p e r i s h !                                                    ism with regard to salvation. Everything is viewed
                                                                            from the  stdndpoint of the question: "How, in last
           Traditionalism.                                                  instance, can I avoid hell-fire?" It is this  that  we
                 Closely allied to the above attitude is' that of those     shall have to see, `as we proceed, that this  que$tion
           who are `members of a church tradition; These too                of the church is not first of all one  that concerns your
           are usually ignorant of the stand of the  churchh  td            and  tiy individual salvation,.  .but one that concerns
    ,     .w.h@h they belong. They  were not interested in being            the  church itself. Aiid  that is, as we shall see, one of


                                                      T ' H E           STiN'DARD   IiE'ARER   17;:  '                              383

  the main  iineti of  dur Reformed confessions on the                       sion of Faith, as revised by the Presbyterian  Church
  score of the church.                 .                                     of the United States, the Larger *Catechism and the
       But even now we  tiay note with regard to thkse                       Shorter'-Catechism, shall be the doctrinal standards of
  various  wron,g attitudes and criterions of. church mem-                   the United Church.
  bership, that we are not always free  of them our-                             "2. These standards  ai-e to be  inter]?reted in their
  selves. 0, no, we  wbuld  not jump the denominational                      natural and obvious  tieaning, and no one. shall be
  boundaries easily. But. within us  1uEk  -some of these                    brdained `to  teach or preach in the United Church who
  sam? thoughts. Thoughts they are that  stand in con-                       cannot give an unqualified' assent to the doctrinal sys-
  flict with Scripture and the Confessions. Thoughts                         tem contained iri these standards.
  they are that are not in harmony with, the fear of                             "3. The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian
  the Lord. And thoughts they are which do not stand                         Churkh  .in the United -States  ?shall be the basis of
- in' the service. of the church of Christ, but which op-                    government..     worship and discipline, in the united
  pose His cause. `Thoughts they are, which, under the                       C h u r c h .
strain and stress of various circumstance& (marriage,                         "4. In the  -ordinallee of praise it is agreed that
  worldly aggrandizement, persecution)..might very  tie11                    while the  Psalmb  of the Bible are accredited for per-
  be translated into sinful actions, the actions of  .work-                  manent use, other  forms of hymns true to the spirit
   ing'in the direction of the  f$lse  church.                               and teaching of Scripture are properly. employed. Each
                                                   H .   C .   Hoeksema.'    congregation in the united body shall be allowed the
                      '                     _                                same  liberty--which  it now enjoys  in the niatter of con-
                            -o&on.                                ,-         gregational singing. It is hoped that in the next Man-
                                                                             ual of Praise issued by the united Church a consider-
                                                                             able number  oP Psalms  may be included."
                                                                                   Interesting also is the matter of Church Property,
                P'E R I  i%C 0  P'E                                          especially interesting because it is now an issue in the
                                                                             Southern  Presbyterian Church which is agitated with
                                                                             the question of, union with the Northern Presbyterian
   Church         UnXon.         .-                                          Church (Presbyterian Church  iti the USA).
       Some time ago we reported that negotiations were                          We quote:,                : .              -
  at present  und@Tway  toward the eventual  imion of the                        "Any particular congregation which belongs to the
  Presbyberian  Church in the United States (The  $outh-                     <General  isynod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
  ern Presbyterian Church) and  the Associate Reformed                       Church prior to the proposed union may determine by
   P r e s b y t e r i a n   C h u r c h .   -.                              means of a duly called congregational  mee$ting`to dis-
       In the latest  number of `the "Southern Presbyterian                  sent and remain outside of the United Church, Pro-
   Journal" the  proposed plan of union is set forth, which                  per. notice of `suck; meetings shall be  .given publicly  .'
  will be considered  ,by their respective Synods this year.                 from the pulpit of such a congregation.' at-regular ser-
       It'must  be remembered of course that the things                      vices of worship on  two. successive Lord's Days  and.by
  which separated these two groups lie far back in his-                      the mailing of a notice of the  me&ing, stating its pur-
  tory. Their original separation lies in the  backgroynd                    pose, to all  communica& members of the  congregatiori
  of  -the  old continent. These were  .carried-  over into the              not less than fifteen days prior to the date of meeting.
  new world but to a large extent lost their point, espec-                   One-third of the communicant members of the congre-.
   ially as much of it concerned government interference                     gation shall constitute  a quorum for such a meeting,
  with  chtirch procedure, etc.  fiuring the separate  his-                  and only communicant members present shall be-  e'n-
  *tory  pf the Southern Presbyterian Church they have                       titled  to vote. The question shall be put:  `Shall this
  absorbed several  segments of the Associate. Reformed                      congregation dissent from the Union of  the. Associate
-  P_resbyterian  Churches. Today the one difference                         Reformed- Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian
  seems to-be the  stand of the. Associate Reformed  Pres-                   Church in the United States?' '  '  The vote shall then
  bfierian Church that only Psalms may be sung  in the                       be  ta;ken by secret ballot, and  `a  kwo-thirds majority
  worship services while the use of hymns  is'almost uni-                    of all members present shall be required to dissent
  versal in the Southern Presbyterian  ,C!lurch.                             from the union. . . . Insofar as any claim to  / owner-
       Rather interesting in these days of doctrinal  icdif-                 ship of local church  pk;operty by the  ,General'Synod is
  ference and lack of dogmatic basis in the  union,mo<e-                     concerned, congregations so dissenting from the Union
  ment is the  "creedal,statemenl? in the  "Pgoposed  Plan                   shall retain or receive from the General Synod by deed
  of Union".                                                                 .of gift, ownership and custody  of,their property. . .  ."
       We quote:
       "1. The doctrinal standards held in  commqn  by                       Fym H&e and There.
  these two., Churches, namely, the Westminster  Confes-                         Some  time  *ago we inform&d you that a suit was


                                                                                                                           ,,  _i.
                                                                                                                                .<:
                                          ._ - --__ __~--  ~______.
384                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ,-

being brought in Federal Court against the University                             "Well, then, take your littleness, and your simple
of Minnesota charging that by maintaining a-Divinity                      weapons  ; and enlarge -yourself with a clear witness,
~Faculty  in the university it was violating the principle                 courageous decision, and  faith in God.
of  .the separation of Church  atid State.  The Federal                           "Then go, and fight the Goliaths of  Moderliism,
department of justice has notified the atheist who re-                     Catholicism,. Communism,  Becul@sm.
quested the suit that it does not plan to take  crimi&l                          "You will find that you are not alone. . .  ."
                                                                                         ,.
action  .aq,ainst the University of Minnesota on his                                                     :i:  :j:          :a  :::
complaint, maintaining that  the  M&o+n case and.
this are not sufficiently similar to warrant institution                   Whither  ?
of proceedings on  the  *authority  of that case.  `It" is in-                    Interesting,  -to say -the least, is the debate `that is
tended to bring the  >ivil suit however.                                   go'ing  dn at present in the Christian Reformed Chur-
                           4  *  *         :i:             -               ches  ,regarding%he status of Calvin College. Also for
                                                                                         .
                                                                           US,, this is  importa@, at least in as far as many of our
        The Dutch Reformed Chwrch  in the Trdnsvaal   has                  young people avail -themselves of the opportunity of
voted to join the World Council of Churches and has                        studying `there.             `1           ,"
asked other Dutch Reformed synods in South Africa                                ' This struggle is `by no means  new-1 mean the de-  -
to do likewise. How it is possible for this  churell, to                   bate which centers in the -question whether the church
be member of the thoroughly modern  Worl& Council                          +as the. right to  maintai-n  a college. This is again
and of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod at the'same                           brought to the  fore  by. the  ..recept agitation over a
time is hard to imagine.,                                                  Christian University and its relation to Calvin College.
                           .*    :i:  *  :E:                              ~ Interesting  are some of the questions raised. In
                                                                           the first place the basic  questiqn of jurisdiction. Many
The  Church  Toclay?                                                       are that  Faintain  that in so doing the  church steps
                                                                           outside her own `domain. Some rather pointedly  cali
        "The' Northwest United Protestant Church  h&e,                     to  mind the recent agitation over political and social
which is sponsored by the Disciples of Christ, has just                    views  and'insist again that the church does not have
completed.its  social hall-the first of a group of four' the mandate nor the right to judge and evaluate such
--buildings  which will cost an estimated $250,000. The                    conceptions-that it shows clearly that  the'whole mat-
completed unit contains a large hall for social gather-                    ter is out of order.                                                   il
ings with a. stage for plays, a mpdern kitchen, lava-                             But  on the other side are those who, while  mais-
tories, a parlor and  & basement. A  unique feature is                     taining the possibility of a Church-supported college,
an  out.door patio, with a fireplace and barbeque pit."                    find their greatest support in the accomplished fact
 (I wonder if there is an auditorium and a  pulpiti-JH  ?)                 and in the financial situation.
                n                                                                 Entirely apart from the question involved or its
                           :g  Q      4:  $4
       D .                                                                 final settlement.1 believe we find here something of
                                                                           value in many problems. We see how difficult  .it is for
The Reformed Witness.                                                      even principle to win over an accomplished fact"  and
       In an article in which he opposes the present Chris-                we see the power  of`the, utilitarian argument.
                                                                                                                                             J          .                Howeriyl.
tian Reformed stand on membership in the NAE, Rev.
George Stob.gives a beautiful expression of the calling
                                                                                               J
of the church in this world. We  q&e it not to mingle                                                   .._.
                                                                                                          NOTICE !                                           :.,         *
in` the debate which he enters but for its beauty and Young Men desiring to prepare  .for the ministry of '
its application for every child of  G6d:
 .'                                                                        the Word in  our- Churches, and therefore seeking ad-
        "Let it be said again and again that the heart-of                  mittance-into our Theological School are reqhested to
our calling to  the'American world is to bring to it the                   appear.  atthe next meeting of the Theological  l$ch~ol
power of a  f.ull  and  undi!uted Reformed witness. We                     Committee on the evening of May  18, 1951 at  Hudson-
can scarcely in good  coqscience unite for  .that -purpose                 vil&,  Mich.,  at 8 o'clock. Applicants'must present a
with those who do not  share  our Reformed  @nv.ictions.                   certificate" of. membership and recommendation from
        "It is said that we face the  Goliiths,   .of Secularism           their  ,own.`consistory  and a certificate of health from
and  Mode&ism. And'we are small.                                           a reputed-physician.
        "But we do not  ir%ease  eith& size or  strength  by                                        The Theological School Committee,
taking the armor and the sword of Saul. They do not                                                     Rev. G. Lubbers, Secretary,
fit us. They hinder our freedom, limit  otir  .movetietit.                                            '  1304~   M,aude Ave., N. E.
        "You are little, David.             .:      a.          *    :                                  Grand Rapids 5 Michigan.
                                                                          , '                                                          .'                                     ,


