V O L U M E   X X V I I                             June 15,  1951   - Grand Rapids, Michigan                               NUMBER 18
                                                        i                         Maar  Paulus  zal de gemeente stof geven  tirn `van
        Ii E  `D I  T  -A  T I  O',.N  _                                       Paulus en  &jn werk te  roemen  tegenqver die  godde-
                                                                               looze  menschen in  ,Corinthe's  gemeente.  Paul& zal
                                                                               verklaren  waarom hij de gemeente zoo gestriemd  had.
        De Liefde Van Christus                                                 in den eersten zendbrief.       En in die verklaring zal
                                                                               de gemeente stof  `hebben voor een antwoord  aan die
               "Want de liefde van  Christus  dringt ons,  als die' valsche beschuldigers van  Piulus.
             dit oordeelen, dat indi& den voor  allen  gestorven is,              Paulus `geeft  di,e oorzaak in de woorden van  `onzen
             zij dan  allen gestorven zijn. En Hij is voor  allen
        ' gestorven, opdat degenen die leven, niet meer  zich-                 tekst.'  Daai verklaart  Paulus   waarom hij zoo gewoed
             zelven zouden leven, maar dien,  Ge,  vioor  hen  ge-             had in zijn eersten  -brief. En de  oorzaak is,  cjmdat
             storven' en opgewekt is."               II  coti.  5:114,  15.    Paulus een  zektir oordeel heeft over  de- gemeente van
   Deze tekstwoorden staan in een eigenaardig  ver-                            Christus. En dat oordeel is het  oordeel der liefde
band.  Paulus  had' gezegd in het voorgaande vers:                             &n  Christy.  En de inhoud van dat oordeel  is, dat
"Want hetzij dat wij uitzinnig zijn, wij  zijn het Gode;                       als Jezus  Christus   .voor  allen-  gestorveq, is; dan  .zijn
hetzij dat wij gematigd van zinnen  @jn, wij  zijn het                         al die menschen waarvoor Jezus stierf  6&  gqtorven.
ulieden."                                                                      En de gemeente stierf, opdat zij zouden opstaan en
                                                                               leven, niet zichzelven, in groote zonde en brasserijen,
   Wat bedoelde de  Apoitel met  deze  woorden?;                               maar opdat zij den Heere Jezus  Christus  zouden leven.
   Wel, om het antwoord op die vraag te vinden,  moe-                             Daarom had  Paulus  hen gestriemd. De  oorzaak
ten we voor de aandacht  houden, dat  Paulus  in zijn                          was-de pure liefde van  Christus  die hem drong. Zoo
_ekrsten brief  aan de  Cori&hi&rs` hen  gegeeseld had                         loopt het  verband' van mijn tekst.
vanwege de groote zonden waarin die  gemeente  leefde.                            We  zulleri  `da-n wat zeggen van de  li,efde van  Chris-
   -Er was  allerlei  -bdosheid in die gemeente,  zooals                       tus die  Paulus   `diingt. Eerst  .vragen we naar  htiar
een ieder weet  die  m zijn Bijbel  thuis' is.                     Er was      wondere  daad; dan  naar haar rijke  vmcht; en  ten
en  weFd geduld een soort hoererij die  zclfs  onder-de                        slotte,  naar haar  verhovein doel.
heidenen niet  genoemd werd. Er was  ,verbastering
van de  viering  d&s  Avondmaals des Heeren.'
   De  getieente  was in  v&r  deelen uiteengescheurd:                                  -
sommigen noemden  zich,  naar  Paulus,  aLderen  naar                             Eerst  da;  die wondere daad. En  daarin ligt odk
Apollos en  Gnderen   paar Cefas, terwijl  er- ook nog                         de rijkdom van het Evangelie. Haar daad is,  ,dat
een partij was die  zich-n0emd.e naar Christus.                                Jezus voor  allen stierf.  ,Alles  i6 hier wonderlijk. Dat
   Toeti had  Paulus de gemeente zeer streng  berispt.                         is dan ook een van de namen van Jezus. Hij is  Won-
Maar  `er  waren valsche leeraars geweest in die  ge-                          derlijk. Hij is de grootheid der verborgenheid der
meente die  Paulus'  aut?iorit&  trachtten te  ondermij- - Godzaligheid.                         1 -Tim. 3  :16. Hij is de Onschuldige,
nen. Klaarblijkelijk  hadden ze tot de gemeente gezegd:                        die  nochtans  als . een misdadiger  aan het vervloekte
Paulus  is  uitzilinig om zob  op.onze gemeente te razen.                      kruishout hing  totdat hij  &ierf. Hij is die  E&e die
   Let er op, dat die valsche  m&schen-zich niet  ont-                         voor  allen stierf.
zagen om  yauius als' `t ware als  een  krankzinnige. te                          Wat mag dat  .beteekenen .? 1s~ Jezus  -voor  alle men:
brandmerken. En die  valsche menschen zijn  dezelf- schen, hoofd voor hoofd  gestorven?  Dat kan de  be-
den die door  Patilus  gekaFakie+Sseyd  worden in vers                         teekenis  niet zijn  van deze woorden. Er  zijti  vele
12 van dit  hoofdstuk als  me&hen die  in het  aange-                          teksten in  d,en Bijbel die dat bewijzen,  maar ik  @l U
zicht  roemen en niet in het hart.                           .;
                                              -.                               wijzen op een  tweetal teksten die  ifi hun onderling


410                                          TH.E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

verband die gedachte geheel en al  logenstraffen..  zk niet meer te noemen, zegt Jezus van die gekenden, dat
heb het oog op Joh. 10, vers 11, in  verband  tiet  -bet             zij in Zijn en  ik Gods hand zijn, en dat  niemancl hen
26ste vers.  ,_Jn het llde  vers  ~zegt Jezus : "Ik ben de  ' kan rukken uit de  hand.des Vaders.  ,O, dat volk,  dat
goede  Hey.der.  --Qe  goed&`Herd,e,r stelt Zijn leven voor          gekende volk is  ee,tiwig  v&lig is  $..ezu's Christus,  bun
de  schapen."$-I%  in het 26ste vers  zeg$ Jezus tegen de            middelaar en  Veilosser,  htin  HeifaGd%n  ,Heer.
goddelooze  Jod<,z: "Maar gijlieden gelooft niet, want                         En  da!  volk  i$in Hem beide juridisch  eri  organisch-
gij zijt niet  $an  &ij'% `schapen." Is het niet  huidelijk geestelijk. Juridisch wil  zeggen,  dat al  #Gods  volk in
voor  ,een  ied&`I$lie   eerljk wil  oordeelen,  fiat er special{    Jezus gerekend  worden van voor de  grondlegging der
menschen zijn die door Gods  Gee&  .genoemd  w&den  :                wereld, en dat  jezus  verantwoord@ijk   i.i voor hen.
schapen van  Jezus'  .kudd$,  terwijl  e2  andere men&hen -AIs zij  ?in  deri  t-ijd  zondigen, schuldig  worden  voor
iijn  die;llie$  vati~-,Jeius'.   ktiy&le zijn?
       _ _                                                           God, en daarom  .doemwaardig, dan-  iS Jezus  verant-
,l,rsEn zoo  z&  .ik  00%  Xunqen  wijzex? op de  uitspraak          wo&@$jk  voor hen, En  in de  were!d komende, zegt
van,.,  Johannes  die in zijn  eersten  zeqdbri,ef   eeryoudig       Hij :  .x-k. kom om  TJw  wi! te  doen, o God! `En ook dit:
ze`gt :  "Zij zijn uit ons uitgegaan,  maar  zij:  waren uit         Jezus iegt tot God,  komende-in de  wer,eld  r  "Slxht-
ons niet : want  indieti` zij uit ons' getieest  -tiay;ei,  ZoC,     ..offer eii offerande  hebt Gij niet gewild,  ma'ar Gij hebt
zoud,en zij met ons  geblev& zijn." En, om niet meer                 Mij het  lichaam  toebereid-!`T
te noemen, een ieder van U `die naar mij luistert weet,                        tin  waaroti had God een  lichaam toebereid voor
dat  (God zegt : Velen zijn  geroepen,  tiaar weinigen  uit-         Jezusl  Ok  vooi  allen  &e  j&d&ch in  Hem begrepen
,verkoren. Neen, het kan niet beteekenen,  d& Jezus                  zijn, te sterven  aan het gevloekte  ho& van Golgotha.
voor elk en  een ieder mensch gestorven is. Bovendien,               Jezus komt in de volheid des tijds voor Gods  rechter-
als dat  260 ware, dan zouden alle menschen ook  be-                 stoel te  staan met al de zonde en  schuld van  *Gods volk
houden  word,en. `Ge kunt er gerust van opaan, dat als               beladen. Juridisch kan dat  -als  schuld. Zoo moet ge
Jezus voor U  gestorven  is,  `dat ge zekerlijk naar den             verst$an als  `de  Schrift zegt in II  Cbr:. 5, het laatste
hemel zult gaan.         Een  ied'er kan  tech  wil-verstaan,        vers,`:dat  Jeius  .zonde  gemaakt  i s .        Ge gevoelt, dat
dat God nooit  ,tweemaal de straf op de  zond@ eischen               Jezus geen zonde gemaakt  is in den geestelijken zin
kan? Dat zou Gods  ger,echtigheid te niete  doen. Neen,              des  woords.          Dan kan niet. Maar dat ziet op. de
.maar als Jezus stierf voor een niensch, dan is zijn                 juridische daad van  den  Rechter des hemels en  der
schuld en zonde  voor eeuwig weggedaan,  en.  ii hij  ge-            aarde.  Hij rekende de zonde vdn  IGods volk Jezus
heel en  al`verzo&d met God.                                         toe  31s  schuld, en zoo-moet verstaan  worden dat Jezus
                                                                     zonae gemaakt  yierd. Maar  Gods volk wordt ook  &n
                                                                     met Jezus in organisch-geestelijken zin.               En dat is
       Wat beteekent het dan? Wel,  -een ieder moest                 daor den  Heiligyn Geest en het Woord Gods. Door
direkt zien, dat  Paulus  het hier  heeft over de gemeente           de werking van die beide grootheden Gods  worden we
Gods. Hij spreekt beslist nergens anders  `vati in het               eeq -in Hem.           Dan is de atmosfeer  van. ons geheele
vetband dan de gemeente Gods. En dan wil hij  zeg-                   leven  de Geest van den verheerlijkten Christus, en van
gen, dat Jezus voor de geheele  gemeente van  IGod  ge-              het  Woord,  IGods;                   .
storven is. Hij is  voor alle  kindereri Gods gestorven.
En voor niemand  m&er. Ik weet wel,  dqt  tien in  alle                                            Mm
eeuwen getornd heeft  aan  die--waar&eid,   dobh  zijlstaat                                                     ,'
                                                                        . .
nog steeds te pronken in al  haar  `schoonheid  in on&               iu  d&,  ?oor dat volk  -stierf Jezus Christus. En  _
late eeuw.        '                                                  nu is de vrucht van die liefde van Christus, dat  allen
       ,Ja,  onze Heiland is alleen gestorven  voor all&, dat        gestorven zijn  in Hem. En dat is ook het bordeel der
is voor  allen die in Hem begrepen  zijn. I&j is immers              liefde van  Paulus. En dat oordeel is de drang van
het Hoofd van het geslacht  ,Gods? Hij  is  d.e Borg  van            zijn striemenden brief die  %ij eerst geschreven had-
al  de gekenden Gods? En Hij is hun  .Kqning die  ,van               &an de  Ctirintl&s.  Wat  beduiht het, dat als  Christus              -
eeuwigheid af gezalfd is om hun  ,Koning te zijn. E n                voor  ens  `stierf,..dat  wij dan  allen ook stierven? Ge
zegt de Heilige  Schrift ook  niet,..dat Hij hun priester            gevoelt, dat we te  doen hebben met beeldspraak hier.
is van eeuwigheid  naar de orden.ing van  Melchizedek?:              In welken  ,zin  sterven wij in Christus? Dat is de
0 ja, al de menschen  die, uiteindelijk  ,behoud&  worden            vraag.: Welnu,  toen Jezus stierf, stierf de zonde  als
zijn- van eeuwigheid in..  Jeius  .Christus   geweest.       E n     recht.`kn  macht om over ons te heerschen.                En dat
niemand meer.  -Dat weet elk  ,Gereformeerd mensch.                  wordt bewezen in een wedergeboren  me&h. Die be-
Leest het  maar in  Johannas 17,  bet: hoogepriesterlijk             wijst  dat het zoo is, in een. godzalig  Ieven: Laten we
gebed.  Daar zegt Jezus, onder meer, dat  .a1  degenen               nooit  v&geten, dat de zonde als  recht  ,en  macht om
die Hem geschonken  waren,  eerst van  #God   waren.                 over ons te  heersc!hen.' principieel  aan het kruis ge-
En ook, dat zij in Hem  zijn-. En  San dat  voik zegt                storven is  tweeduizend  jaar  geleden  toen Jezua  wtierf
Hij,  dat Hij  bun bet  eeuwige.  le-vkn  s&en& En, om               op dat kruis.
                                                                                                                      ,


                                             T H E i3T.A 8 Q 4 B &IL -$!;F,;;A  a J$ B
                                             .  _.  _L  -. .  .-                                                                                             4.3
 -                                      _                             ._  _  -  _                                                     _
      .In Ef. 2 wordt ons  immers geleerd, dat  Jezy  de            Daartegen staat de tekst : Leeft  niet uzelven ! Dat is
vijandschap in Zijn vleesch  te, &et  gemaakti  heeft?              de gedurige prediking van het kruis,  van Christus.
En ook,  ,dat  *l&j die vijandschap  `aan  h6t kruis gedood         Dat  k&is is de doodsteek voor  zelfzubht.   Jezus zocht                                           (
heeft ? En in Coll. 2  :13 lezen we, dat Hij uitgewischt            God is dien  diepen zwarten  nacht  aan  -bet kruis, en
heeft het handschrift dat tegen ons was,  het  aan het              Hij zocht Zijn kerk in het moeras der zonde. En Hij
kruis genageld hebbende. En in  R'om. 8  :3 lezen we, Oheeft beide  IGod en  Zijq  kerk  g&onderi  iti dien  nacht.
dat God de zonde van Zijn volk  verdordeel'd heeft in               De Eene om Zijn gerechtigheid genoeg te  doen, en
het vleesch van Christus. Dus de zonde heeft haar                   de andere om haar te  v&lossen,- te verlevendigen,
r&ht verloren door den dood van  ,Ch$istus  die voor                en`te kroonen met het eeuwige  leveti.
Zijn schapen stief. Naar zijn waardij wordt mij                            En zoo komt tot ons de  rcjeping  :  ILeeft niet Uzelven,
het sterven van  Christus  toegerekend. En' naar zijn               dbch leeft Hem die voor ons gestorven en opgestaan
macht en kracht wordt mij dit  geschonken in de  weder-             is., Wij  moeten  Christus  leven.
geboorte. Zi,et ge  6u niet de uitwerking van het titer-                    Wat beteekent dat? .
ven van Jezus? Die uitwerking is  twe&rlei: de zonde                        Wel,  last ons eerst eens zien wat soort pan leven
heeft,nu geen recht meer over mij om in mij te  heer-               Jezus  Christus  zelf leeft. En dan is  l&t antwoord,
schen tot den eeuwigen  dood-toe.   : Dat is uit door het           dat Hij eeuwiglijk den Vader leeft. Hij heeft zijn  ~
sterven van Jezus. Maar de zonde heeft  principi,eel                eten en  drinken in het  doen van den  wir  Gods. Dat
ook geen macht meer over  ,Gods volk. En dat is ook                 heeft Hij bewezen in. zijn kruisdood. Hij heeft  Zich
door het' sterven  van  ,Jezus voor mij. De zonde is ageheel en al overgegeven,  vernietigg, zegt  d,e  Schrift,
in haar wortel geknakt in het diepste hart van Chris-               voor den eisch van God. Er was een eisch die  IGods
ten.      Is Jezus voor U gestorven? Welnu, dat zult                ggrechtigheid deed, ten overstaan van de zonde en
-ge dan  moeten bewijzen in een godzalig leven. Gods                schuld van de kerk, en daarom stierf Hij. Zijn  ster-
dordeel, Christus'  oord,eel, en  Paulus'  oordeel  is het          ven is de gehoorzaamheid der liefde tot  #God.
oordeel der  liqfde  van  mijn  &kit. Dat oordeel is: als                   Welnu, daar hebt ge  VW en mijn  roeping. Zegt
.Jezus voor ons stierf, dan zijn  vrie der ionde. dood.             ge en belijdt ge een kind `van God te zijn? Zegt ge
Dat is het  oqrdeel  der  lief,de.                                  en belijdt ge dat Jezus voor U gestorven is? Welnu,
      Ziet ge nu niet,  waarQm   Paulus de gemeente zoo             bewijst  bet in een godzalige wandeling. Als dat waar
striemde.in dien eersten.zendbrief ? Zijn-oordeel was :             is, dan leert de Heilige  !Geest U door het Woord  van
De gemeente van Co&the is in  Christus.   Christus                  God, dat het Uw dure  roeping is om Gode. te leven
stierf voor de gemeente van-Corinthe.  En zqo is die                door Hem.  .Dan gaat ge het leven der  geloofsgehoor-
gemeente dood  aan de  zonde. `En daarom mag zij                    zaamheid leven door de kracht der genade die U  ge-
niet zoo uitbreken in de zonde.. En  Paulus  vermaande              schonken is.
de gemeente  ZGods te  Corinthe. Het was zijn oordeel                       ljaar  w a s   e e n   grobte  l e e m t e   i n   C o r i n t h e .   E n
der liefde dat hem aanspoorde om die.  g&neente te Paulus  zegt tot hen : ik oordeel over U,  dat ge in
wijzen waaruit zij uitgevallen was. En met het  doe1                Christus  zijt. Hij stierf  voor U  aan het kruis. En
om haar weer terug te brengen op de  paden des levens.              daarom heeft de zonde geen  recht--om  in Corinth? te
                                                                    heerschen. En ook is de  maoht der zonde gebroken,
                                                                    want gij  zijt  alleli  kinderen Gods.
                                                                           _Dat is Uw  belijdefi:s. En ik wil het ook  geldoven
        Eli  nti nog het  doe1 van `die  l&fde van  Christus,       in  lief,de. Dat is de drang  d,er liefde van  Christus in
die zoo  oordeelde..  pat  doe1 werd uitgedrukt in de               r&j om zoo over U te oordeelen.
woorden:  opdat wij niet langer onszelven  -zouden  le-                     Welnu, leeft  er dan naar, zegt hij.  Eri zoo komt
ven. Ge ziet de lijn: door den dbod van  Jezus  `zijn               die vermaning ook  tot ons, mijn vrienden. De Heere
wij dok der  -zonde gestorven. En nu leven  :$ve in en              sck;&ke U en mij, dat wij door Jezus Christus, Gode
door Jezus Christus. En dat levende volk mag  ,niet                 &g&n leven tot in alle  eeuwigheid. Amen.
z i c h z e l v e n   l e v e n .                                                                                                    I            G. Vqs.
      Zoo leeft  ,de  n,atuurlijke  mensch. Het natuurlijke
leven van  ,den zondaar is dat  l+j.-  alles  -doet tot  ver-                                                   *      :k  * `*
zadiging des vleesches. Hij leeft voor zichzelf, of  voor
zijn god.: En ik schrijf het  voordje god met  een kleine                                                   I N   MEMO,RIAM
letter, want  ,het~ is een afgod. Zoo-  weud hij  niet-ge-            The English  Me& Society of the First  Prot&t&t  Reformed
schapen.  Hij werd geschapen om Gode te leven.  Doch                Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, hereby expresses its sym-
het vergif  .van Satan kwam in zijn ziel, en van dien               pathy to their fellow member and vice-president, Mr. James
                                                                    Kok, in the death of his father
stonde  ?f  aan, is elk mensch zelfzuchtig.  - Het is de                                                             W. Kok
grootste zonde van  allen, of ge kunt het nog beter                 Our prayer is that the Lord will oomfort them in their grief.
zeggen.       De  .zelfzucht is de wortelzonde.  Want haar                                                                           A. Van Tuinen, Pres.
wezen is  de  hoogmoed..  Men  leeft alsof men God  is'.              _        .:_  r  .-..  : -_,_  -c..i  .'  ,_--  `1,  ..  _:    H; Korhorn,  Sec'yi-     ..::          '


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al                      -                                                   T H E   -STANDA$-b   BEAR&R
                                                                                                                                          -. --.                               -c._

                                                                                                                          --
                        TiIE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                      ED.ITORIALS
         Semi-monthly, except monthly in July and August
     Published  by the Reformed Free Publishing Association
             Box 124, Station :C., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                                               tihat 1s The Truth?
                       EDITOR - Rev. Herman Hoeksetia
     Communication% relative to contents should be addressed                                                                 In  Concordia of  May-lo,. 1951, the Rev. J. De Jong
     to Rev. H. Hoeksema,  i139 Franklin St.,  St E., Grand                                                               concludes  his -series of  articTes about his trip  to the
     Rapids  7, Michigan".                                                                                                Netherlands. In-this closing article  he.also refers to
     All matter relative to subscription should be addressed
     to Mr. J. Bouwman, 1350 Giddings Ave., S. E.,  Graxid                                                                the meeting he and' the  Rev; B. Kok had with some of
     Rapids 7, Michigan. Announcements and Obituaries must                                                                the liberated brethren in Kampen.
     be mailed to the above address and will be published at a                                                               Of this meeting he writes:
     fee of $1.00 for each notice.
     Renewals :- Unless a definite request for  diScontinuance                                                               1.  lTh& this was not an important meeting, but
     is received, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the                                                            rather a (`get-together".
     subscription to continue without the formality of a  re-                                                                2. That they  .(the Revs. De Jong and  Kotij ex-
     newaL  order.
                      ,`Subscription   P r i c e :   $ 3 . 0 0   p e r   y e a r   _                                      plained to the liberated brethren that our churches are
                                                                                                                          Reformed and stand on the basis of the Three Forms
     Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan "                                                             of Unity.
                                                                                                                             3. That they (the Revs. De Jong and Kok) were
                                                                                                                #         good representatives of  j our  _ churches, though they
                                                                                                                          were not radical.. They held high the honor of our
                                         -:-                                                                              churches` and of all our ministers. They did not sell
                                                                                                                          our  church&  down the river. That they did this hever  _
                                                                                                                          was and never will be proven.          -
                                                                                                                             4. All present  came to the conclusion that we have
                             _  -  `                                                                                      .enough in common to seek and to find  each- other on
                                      C O N T E N T S                                                                     the basis of the confessions.
MEDITATION-                                                                                                                  The above may probably be accepted as a  v&y
        De Liefde Van Christus _____ _ . .._.__.......  :~ ._.___ ;..: .__________________  -409                          general. characterization-of the meeting  .in Kampen.
             Rev. G. Vos  - ,                                        -                                                    If nothing  else had occurred in the meantime,  1 could
EDITORIALS-                                                                                                               pro;bably. accept it as  a true. and faithful picture of
        What Is The Truth __________~  _____.............._____________________....~........  412                         what was said and discussed at that gathering.
              Rev. H. Hoeksema                                      .-                                                       But the Rev. De Jong' forgets, or rather he inten-
        Chatham's Open Letter to Rev. H. Veldman ._______________  413                                                    tionally ignores (for he could not possibly forget it)
             Rev.  IX  Veldtian                                                                                           that we have another report of the same meeting
THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE-                                                     '  .;                                           which, in distinction from the general statements of
       A n Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417                                     the Rev.  pe Jong, is v&y definite indeed. And this
             Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                             r,eport  must also be  acc%pted as made by a reliable
        More Strange Reasoning . . . . . .._..._.....___...  -...~...~ ._._..._._._._______ 422                           witness, who certainly knows what  he is talking about,
              Rev.  H. Veldman                                                                                            and who would riot intentionally lie.
CONTRTBVTION-                                                                                                                From this definite report I quote the following
        De Aanbieding  Van  $roeder  K. C. Van Spronsen Aan-                                                              statements :                                ,'
       _ genomen ____..___..___  _ . . . . _ ._.__.._..__..______ _ ___._____.............  _ . . . ..___._.__.__  423       1. They (the Revs. De Jong  and `Kok) said that
             J. R. Kuivenhoven-Kalamazoo                                                                                  the conception regarding election etc. of the Rev. Hoek- `
        Uit Nede%la&d- . . . .._. :...-..-............_.........................~  . . . . . ..__..___.___  425           sema is not church doctrine:. No  one is bound by it.
             J. Van Raalte-The  Nstherlands                                                                                  2. Some (they said) are' emitting an. entirely  dif-
        Once More - The Promise __________________....  i _.______________.________  425
                                                                                   _                                      ferent sound.             i      -'
             Rev. G. M. O.phoff                                                                                              3. Most of the Protestant Reform&l people do not
FROM HOLY- WRIT-                                                                                                          think"as  do  the Revs. Ophoff and Hoeksema.
       ,Exposition -Of Romans 6 : 1-14 ____ ~__________..........__________________  -429
             Rev.  Gee..  C. Lubbers                                                                                         4. Sympathy for `the Liberated was great, also
                                                                                                                          in the matter of the covenant..
P E R I S C O P E -   -                                                                                                      5.  The& is ample room in the Protestant  Reform-
        TBhe Synod of 1951 ._.._.._...__.__..__.~...~.......  ~.__.._._..____.__.___~  _____ I..431                       ed churches for the conception of the Liberated.
              Rev. J. Howerzyl                                                                                               And Prof. Holwerda, in  .the same report concludes
,                                                                                                                         that; seeing the conception  of,the- Rev; Hoeksema is
                                                       ,


                                                                                                                                        .
                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            413
                                                                                s
  not binding in the Prot. Ref. Churches, the Liberated                       3. They have no intention of becoming Protestant
  may safely join them.                                               Ref,ormed  . . . In fact they  h&e been advised out of
      Now, if this report by Prof. Holwerda is true; I                    the Netherlands to remain Liberated, receive their
  must needs deny:                                                   literature out of the Netherlands and spread it in  `our
      1. That the Revs.  Dq Jong and  Kok. were good Pr.otestant  Reformed Churches.  Of' this fact -(that
  representatives of our churches in that meeting at                      they intend to  femain Liberated) the Protestant Re-
 Kampen.                                                                  formed Church of Hamilton furnishes us with a strik-
      2. That they held high the honor of all our minis-              ing example. (p. 274-a.)
  ters.                                                                       4. In constant touch with  `the Netherlands, they
      3. That they held high the honor of our churches.                   are simply determined to remain Liberated . . .  ,And
      `This I will deny and keep on denying as long as                this, if you please, is general. Very rarely did I meet                           _
  the flagrant  contradictipn between these two reports               a Liberated immigrant in our Canadian mission field
  is not cleared up.                                                 who really  .intended to join the Protestant  R.eformed
      If  ,the very definite statements by Prof. Holwerda                 Churches for the sake of those churches. (p. 274-b;)               _
  are- true, I for one would deny the  Rev.  De Jong the                      5. But we know what we have encountered in our
  right to represent me at any meeting of that nature.                    Canadian mission field. And we also know that these
      The Rev.  De  Jong writ& that it never  was proved              immigrants have little respect for the  dactrine of God's
  that they sold our churches down the river. I can                   sovereign  apd unconditional predestination. (p. 275-b.)
  admit this. But this is a mere negative statement.                         6 . . . . 0~: Liberated immigrants have absolutely  _
  The  opposite   was  riever proved either, and will not                 no intention that these  views..shall  dwell together under
  be proved until the Rev. De Jong publicly denies the                one roof. They: firmly intend that their conception
 -report by Prof.  Holw&d&.                '                          shall triumph. It is indeed either-or;.  one..or the other.
      We speak much of "love" nowadays. And love: is,                     (p 276-a. j                                                        </
  indeed, a very  precioils and essential  IChristian virtue.                7. I assure you that they intend to bind  otig  c&r-
  But love demands confidence, and  confiden&e requires ches to their conception of  the covenant and the prom-
  truth.                                               :             ise.                _                                &
      Let us have it.                                                        b. De kerkeraad keurt deze uitingen van Ds.  Ve!d-
                                                            H. H.    man af en op de volgende gronden:
                                                                              1.' Hoewel Ds. Veldman uitspreekt dat  deie  zaijne
                         *     I     :k                              uitingen  gegrond zijn op.  zijne  eivaringen te  Himilton,
                                                                     heeft  tech dit relaas van ervaringen de strekking  OF
      Chatham's .Open Letter To The .. d als een teekening van alle de Vrijgemaakte,  immi-
            j  Rev.  I& Veldman                                      granten genomen te  wopden.
                                                                             2. De negatieve gehalte van sommige van de  `@in-
Rev. H. Veldman,                                                     gen van Ds. Veldman  maken die zeer misleidend,  .Let
      Esteemed  brothe?  in the Lord :  "                            op de.volgende :                                           ,  *
    The Consistory of  the'Prot. Ref. Church at  Chatham                      (1) (Not) a single one spoke  df Divine election as
  has taken cognizance of your article  in'the  Stand&d              the heart and core of the church.
  Bearer of March 15, and -has decided to voice publicly                      (2) The doctrine of  elkction was hardly mentioned.
  it+ disapproval of this your writing. This disapproval                      (3) That of Reprobation completely ignored.
 runs as follows (luidt as volgt)  :             `.                  "        (4) Little respect for the doctrine of God's sover-
     a. The following expressions of  R,ev. Veldman (see             eign  predestin@ion.
  The  Standerd Bearer, March  l5) are  censured,  by the                    3, In  acht nemende beide de  re-actieve  houding van
  consistory (keurt' de kerkeraad' af) :                             de Vrijgemaakten  tegen eene (vermeende of  actueele)
      1. I have not met among all the -newly arrived                 doodsche verkiezings- en  -vellbondsleer  in de  Neder-
. immigrants, with one possible exception, a single one              landen,' en ook de  re-actieve  aard van hun geschillen
  who. spoke of Divine election as the heart and core of             met Ds. Veldman laat dit weinig noemen en dit weinig
  the church.  ,On the  colitrary the doctrine of Election           roemen van deze  stukkeri, althans  iyat de geijkte  be-
  was hardly mentioned, and that of Reprobation com-                 woording betreft,  zich  ,grootendeels verklaren.
  pletely ignored. (p. 273-b.)                                               4. De teekening van  hmine houding jegens onze
     2. Twenty five years ago  w&e vowed before the  liv-~ ,kerken is zeer onbillijk en misleidend. Dit  blijkt. uit
  ing  IGod to.maintain the truth  sf `God's  ab'oslute sover-       de uitdrukkingen: They do not intend to become Pro-                           '
  eignty: This  i$ the issue .  `. . The question is simply          testant  Reformed . . . they intend to remain  L?berated
  this: shall, we permit people to affiliate themselves . . . do not intend to join the Protestant Reformed
  with our churches who cut the very  he+rt and core out             churches for the sake of those churches . . . they firm-
  of out  churchesand the Reformed  tr_uth?   (p. 274-a.)            ly  intend that their conception shall triumph . . . they


~4i4                                             l'H+-      J3YJANxD+i.RD                                    B:EAR.ER

intend. to bind our churches to their conception . . .                           ated . . . they do not intend to join  thk Protestant
        (a) Daartegen  ,oordeelen  wij  dat het iemand  niet                     Reformed churches for the  sake..of  thos6   $urches . . .
als een  ,euvel te  duideti is, dat hij de  waardevp& ele-.                      they firmly intend that their  .conception shall triumph
menten  ,,van zijn  mo$erkerk  hoopt te  behouden in  zijn                       . . . they  interid to bind our churches to  .their con-
ni&w vaderland en  kerkformgtie.                                                 c e p t i o n   .   .   .
        (b) Het is niet een  euvel dat broeders en  zu&ers,                                (a) Overagainst this we  j-udge that it is not to be
die juist  eep deformatie van de kerk waarin zij  ge-                            considered an evil of anyone when he  would maintain
trouwe en vertrouwende  leden  waren, hebben  meege- the worthy elements of  hi3 mother-church in his new
maakt, niet aanstonds,  ."intend  t?, join the Protestant                        father-land and church-formation.
Reformed Churches for the sake of those churches.".                                        (b) It is not an epil  that brothers and sisters,  who
        (c) Het is onbillijk om te suggereeren, dat de  vrij-                    have just experienced a deformation of the church in
gemaakten in het algemeen, niet  be$?elen,  @ goede                              which they  -were faithful and trustworthy  members,
trouw en in eensgezindheid  00:.  de,  welva?rt,  in de  @z+                     do not immediately "intend to join. the Protestant
`vordering in de waarheid  met::ons.$,.zoeken.
                                                      .,                         Reformed  Churches  for the Sake of those churches.)'
            _     De Kerkeraad  d.er  Prot:..  .Ref; Church                                (c) It'-is  upfair to  suigest that the Liberated in
                       .JJw  breeders  `in  `C@&tus,  Ilii.~~.:                  general do  tiot  :ptirpose  in`good faith and  ili  uni&`to
                   f-e !Chat-am, c(&t-rio~  :@&endda..":     `"?  :  .:  i:      seek also  .with us the welfare-in the promotion in  the
                        (w.s.)  `Rev. A. Petter, Pres.                     `.    truth.  `:'  `( .                                                                              : I
                           I,       D; Scheele, See.                                                                                             S i g n e d   a s   b e f o r e . '

        We  transltite into English the  second part of this                               `
                                                                                                 .I
                                                                                           .           .      .
                                                                                                                     -:I:     *     *            g
public protest, of the consistory of our Church.!-at                                                                                           .c.,     `
                                                                                                                                                        :                       ~,
                                                                                      .

Chatham  against the  art,icle of the undersign&d  whiCh                                               ::           _.        "          .4
appeared in the Standard Bearer of March 15. That                                                                  O U R   AtiSWER.
part. of the protest which we translate begins with` the
small letter, b.                                                     _'               First, as far as the statements  ar,e concerned which
        b. The consistory  disappr&es of these  ex&+essions                      I have ascribed to immigrants and which appear in
of Rev. Veldman upon the following grounds:                    .                 my previous article, I wish to say that all these state-
                                                                                 ments  stand as written. I know what I have heard
        1. Although Rev. Veldman declares these his ex-                          atid encountered during my labors in Canada. Besides,
pressions  .are grounded upon his experiences at  Hatiil- -every one of these .statements was made in.the presence
tdn, nevertheless this  i-edtal of  .experiences  has the                        df witness&. In fact, I do not hesitate-to say that the
tendency to be regarded as  a' description of all the                            consist8ry  of the  f&tier  Protestant Reformed Church
Liberated immigrants.                    i,.'
                                                                                 at  Himilton  would2  Got deny the truthfulness of these
        2. The negative  forti of some of  the expressions                       various expressions.
of Rev. H.  ,Veldman  make. them very misleading.                                     Secondly, I ask  the consistory  of  Chatham  this
  * Notice the following:
                                 .,.             :                               question : How,  br&hhr&;, do you  account for the de-
        `(1) (Not) `a single  .one spoke of Divine election                      pqsition of the  undersigne'd  by. the consistory of Hamil-
as the heart and core  of the church.,                                           ton? It is simply,  &. fact  that the con&tory of Hamil-
        (2) The doctrine of  elect&n  wss hardly mentioned.                      ton severed  conne&ions'egth  the Protestant Reformed
        (3) `That of  Reproba$ion  compl&eljr  ignored.                          church& because of'the binding decision of the  classis
        (4) Little  re$pect for the doctrine of  ,God's  soye?-                  -of  Oc$qber,;  1950. Aqd it is also simply a fact that the
eign imconditional predestination.                                               undersigned was  ,deposed because he would ndt submit
        3.  ,Considering both  ' the reactionary  ..(reactieve)                  to the. basis' as willed' by, that  .consistory. Moreover,
`attitude of the Liberated again.a  (imaginary: or actual)                       let us please bear. in.  mind that, as far as the, binding
dead election and covenant  doctrine  in the. Nether-                            decision was concerned `of the  .October, 1950,  classis,
lands, and also the  r,eactionary:  (rera&&e), nature  .of                       every delegate voted-in favor of that decision with
their differences  with. Rev. Veldman,. this.  ljttle men-                       the  exceptjon of, one of the delegates of the consistory
tioning and little praising of these pieces, at least  as                        of  Chatha+ Hence,  al! that the undersigned did was
far as these standing phrases or expressions are con-                            to enforce an almost -unanimous ecclesiastical decision.
cerned (althans  .wat .de geijkte  pewoording betreft) ,                         Hence, the  hi8tory:of Hamilton is this : these Liberated
.c+  large!y be explained.                                                       immigra$+  left.  our churches  because they refused  to
   -4. The  .des@$&.,of~   ,thei@ attitude toward  ,`our                         become and,  be.,~_gr:otestant'Reformed.. I challenge.  a;y-
churcl@s is  very  unjust and misleading.  This  appears                         ofie, also the &&story of  Chatham, if. the latter be
fro'&  the  expressions  :  .They -do not  .intend  to; become                   necessary, to'  dispr@ye this.                                              `. ;i&.r,
~ip;t43tylti~tiffnr~ed! . . ;t j. they  intend to&main,  Liber:                  .  -  .Thirdly, I  m&t  .c&&$  two,  :errs~egy~-statements


                                       ~,B~~S~~.A~~~~~~~EA~EER                                                          415
                                              . - .   _.    _.                                    .- ..-*____-*
which appear in this protest of the consistory of                 nient is cleverly worded. What does it mean?: It can
Chatham. I refer  to.  sta@me_nts  whichLap@.etir  `in `(a)       me&, it seems to me, that these immigrants will join
and (b) of 4. under b. On the one  h&d,  when did I               our  bhu&hes, and  then'seek with us, in good faith and
ever consider it an  -etiili~of an  immigrsnt  who'-would         iti  &ity',`$he' welfare in the  Dromotion in the troth,
preserve "worthy  elem&$$' of his m&her-church' ifi               i.e.: we will learn from one another; it may mean as
his new fatherland and  ,churchformation? If these                one  df the  immigra&s in Hamilton  expr,essed himself :
immigrants.seek  &trance"into  `dur  churches  &id would          I take what I like and leave the rest. Hence, I would
fight with us for the glorious  tEuth.of  the sovereignty         ask the consistory of  Chatham: Brethren, does this
of God, unconditional election' and  Ytiprbbatid& parti-          siatement  mean,ihat a general promise  consti$utes  an
cular  atonenient, the  partic&?   a&d unconditional              essential part of the truth, and that the maintaining  df
character of the promises of  ou? God,- then  we`  tiould         this teaching is necessary for the promotion of the
say to them: Brethren, by all means  pfesep*e and                 truth in our churches? Secondly, I  .have  mope to say
maintain these worthy elements  of.  you? mother- .about this particular paragraph (a. under 4. under b.) .
church;  these are exactly the things for which we have           I am amazed that the.-consistory of  Chatham  has the
been fighting ever since 1924.  H.owever,  when these             boldness, to compose this document  and to write what  -
same immigrants wish to spread in our" churches the               they write under  (c.) under 4. under b. The entire
doctrine of a general `promise, etc., then; if they main-         protest is aimed, more or less, at the assertion of the
tain  that such `is' the  tetiching  .of their mother-church,     ufidersigned that the Liberated immigrants have  -.no
we.  wovld say to them :  BrethYen,  if  that; be a teaching      int,ention of  becomipg Protestant' Reformed. The  con-
of your mother-church, we do not consider it a worthy             sistory `declares that although I have based my  expyes-
element,  and we advise you to rid yourselves of such             sions `upon my  exp+elices  @ Hamilton my  ,account
-erroneous teachings. Moreover,  th&  qu.estion is simply         of these experiences nevertheless has the tendency to
this: May these  immigrantb  retain these "worthy"                reflect upon all the Liberated immigrants. Does the
elements when becoming members of the Protestant                  consistojrjr actually have  the boldness to declare that
Reformed -Churches and this in spite of the fact-that             they, in good faith, wish to be Protestant Reformed?
they militate against the doctrine of the churches with           I-wish  teat this were the case. I  wish that it may-be-
which they have now affiliated themselves? Indeed,                come true  iri the future. But, I declare, here and now,
if they wish to maintain the responsibility of man,               that such  was not the case. And now, for the sake
so do we. Bus, we will  never maintain a responsibility           of the  re&rd and  for the sake `of our churches, I in-
of man at the cost of the sovereignty of the Lord. The            tend to narrate' the facts as I have experienced them
other statement which is erroneous appears in (b) un-             in  Chatham. May our readers judge whether  -I wrote
der 4 of  b. The consistory of  GhathamJiwrites.:   8  "Xt is     the truth when I declared that these &migrants do
not an evil that brothers and sisters, who-have just ex-          ndt intend to become Protestant Reformed.
                                                                     J
perienced a  deformatibn  of the  church..in  .which they            My first experiences  &ccurr&d  on the Sunday of  i
were faithful and trustworthy `members,  .do: not im-             June 4, 1950. Brother Vander Veen, whom I visited
mediately . .  ." Why do-. you add the word "im-                  at his home in  .Galt the Sunday of Nov. 6, 1949 with
mediately"? This  prompts,.me.-to ask  a question which           two members of  -the Hamilton consistory, declared the
.appears toward the close  .of>.rny'-answer.  `:How often         following : "I am  Libertited ; I will  remaiti  Lib&ated ;
did we not emphasize  in,-our,. discussion with these             no man will ever be able to change  me-i God  loves  this
immigrants that we do not expect them to forget their             child (this the Lord declares to  e&r? child that is
struggle in the Netherlands,, expect them to become               baptized) and would save this  child."-end of quote.
fully Protestant Reformed over  night,- etc! But, may             Later the brother  moved  tb  Chatham, became- elder
we accept as members  $hose who have  .na. intention of           the$. I  dpoke with  hiti the  iSunday  of June 4, about
&er  Ib.ecoming Protestant Reformed as far as the heart           two months after  the congregation of  Chatham   had
and core of  our churches is concerned? Brethren, just            been  organlied and he had  b&n a Protestant Reformed
elide  that word  "immediaf;ely?  and then ask you&elves          elder.' When I reminded him last June 4 of `the state-
whether  that  .would,  be  :;an  ceil., Besides,., none  may     `ments he had made the  .Sunday  of Nov. 6, 1949 (sek
affiliate himself. with our churches or be permitted to           above)  j.he..declared that  he was `exactly of the same
do so until  that person understand  :the stand of.  ,our         opiniori, had not changed.     That same day, June 4,
churches, be convinced that we are the true  @ucCh                1950, I talked with Elder  `Koster. When he said to
be&use  we preach the pure gospel, and  prom&  ,indeed            me that the  @@regation of  Chatham  had been organ-
to submit to the teaching and.  instr;$on  1  of, our             ized on  .the!  b&is of  ,the  Three Forms of Unity, I re-
churches.                            *---1       :i. _            plied: Yes,  ,on the basis of the Three Forms of Unity,
   Fourthly, I must now reflect upon the statement                but plus  the denial of  the- Three Points and as inter-
in this protest which appears  $s (c) under 4. under b.           preted by the Protestant Reformed Churches. Here-
First, whether wittingly or unwittingly, this  state-             upon he answered  vehemently  that they were organized


.41.6                                  T H E       S,TANDARD.   BE,ARER                                     ^    .
 only upon the basis of the `Three Forms of Unity and          explained in this light. However, this  ,brings  tip an
 that nothing else was added. This the brother had             intere'sting question. Certainly there were differences.
 the boldness to say in spite of the  fact.tliat Chatham's     Wer,e these differences with the tindersigned also  .dis-
 first request  for organization had been  rej,ected  be-      cussed in  Chatham  the  $unday  -of October 22, 1950,
 cause they wished to be organized on the condition            when two of Hamilton's members visited in  Chatham
 that they could maintain their  own' conceptions.             and discussed the undersigned, his views and his
         My second experience. This occurred the Sunday        preaching? Are there differences between -the  con-
 of August 27, 1956. In spite'of what I had  exp&ienc,ed       sistory of  Chatham   ad  the undersigned?; Will the
 in  Chatham the Sunday of last June 4, I ask the  con-        consistory of  Chatham  please disclose these differences
 sistory `of  ,Chatham  this question: Brethren,  in  what     atid tell. our people and churches  vher&n tie differ?
 spirit did I appear among you that day? What moti-            They must not mention the  supralapsarian   and  infra-
 vated me when I said to the consistory at the con-            lapsarian issue.  fiever was anyone barred from our
 clusion of the afternoon  service: Brethren, let us give      fellowship because he professed to be infralapsarian
one another  thk hand on  the basis  that we recognize         in his views. As far as brother Vander Veen is con-
one another as Protestant Reformeh officebearers who           cerned, I do not recall that the  supralapsarian-infra-
will now labor  -for the common  go6d of our churches?         lapsarian controversy  I was even mentioned. But, the
Thereupon elder Kottelenberg said to me: "Not as               undersigned did  diff,er   with*these brethren when they
Protestant Reformed officebearers, but as Reformed."           declared that the sacrament was a symbol and  token
Later he did  give me the hand, but, I ask: why did he         6f the  love of  God for  a!l, the children, that it was a
first refuse?                                                  symbol of the temporary if not of the eternal love of
                                                               God, etc., etc.          These discussions also occurred in  _
  Thirdly, the consistory of  Chatham has until  now           Chatham.  I recall them  *vividly. However, I now
`failed to function as a  .Protestant Reformed consistory      ask the consistory of  Chatham:  Do you differ with
at our classical gatherings. Brother Koster objected           the undersigned?  please state your differences. .
again& the binding decision of the October,  1950,
&ssis and requested  ihat his  protes;t be recorded in             Finally, I have one more question and request  bf
the minutes. The consistory has rejected the Declara-          the consist&y of  Chatham. I `base this question upon
tion for  church~poli~ical  and  ddctrinal  reasons. Hence,    their protest. ,Our people should notice in this protest
this consistory has had the boldness to declare publicly       that the consistory of  Chatham  does  no`t utter one
`that they  are not in agreement, doctrinally, `with that      word  df condemnation against the immigrants who,
which is and always has been the teaching of our               according to the undersigned, made various arminian
Protestant Reformed Churches.                                  statements;  ,That  is strange, is it not?  In the light
                                                               of the fact that the consistory has rejected the Declara-
    These are  fatits. Never have I  wentidned these           tion also for doctrinal reasons? that one of its elders
things in my previous articles. But, because of `this          had his protest against the binding decision publicly
public  pkotest of the consistory of  Chatham I may            recorded in  the classical minutes la& October, 1950,
not remain silent. I only ask our readers: Did I write         that  it. is not to be considered an evil that brothers
the truth in my article of March 15 last?                      and sisters do not immediately  .int&nd `to join the Pro-
    However, I  m&t say a little more. I now refer to          testant R&formed Churches for the sake of those  _
the paragraph-of the  consistory's  pr,otest which ap-         churches, that it is to  be- regarded  a+ commendable
pears as 3. under b. I  ask, our readers to read this          that these brothers and sisters preserve and maintain
.carefufiy. If I misinterpret the consistory, I ask to         the.worthy elements of their niother-church, one ques-
be corrected; The consistory attempts to explain the           tion certainly forces itself upon us. Last October,
various statements which  werme made by the Liberated          1950, the  classis decided, with respect to Hamilton,
immigrants and which were quoted by the undersigned            that the binding decision must be enforced, that  pr"os-
ifi previous articles.  -They attribute these statements       pective members- must promise to be further; instruct-
of these immigrants to two things: their reaction              ed in  otir doctriiie and must'also  eroinise not to  a&t&e
&gain&  the dead election and covenant doctrine in the         before they can be accepted as members. Now I ask
Netherlands, and, secondly, the reactionary nature of          the consistory of  Chatham  this question: Brethren;
their  differ,ences with- Rev. Veldman. Hence,  that           what constitutes  the basis in your  midst for the accept-
these immigrants expressed themselves the way they             ance of members? Upon what basis do you  acsept
did  was also because of their differences with the            memibers ? In the light of your public protest I  ani
undersigned. We understand this to mean that the               entitled to  ask this question, and our people are  entitlecl
undersigned was so `-`radically" Protestant Reformed,          to know.
laid such undue emphasis upon Protestant Reformed
doctrine that these Liberated  r,eacted as they did, and                                                 H. Veldman.
                                                                              -
that the statements of these  ,immigrants can be largely                           .


                                                                              I

                                        a.    TH%  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   t .                                      417
                                                     _               covenant of God, and- therefore become active. Never-
         THti  TRItiLE  KNOtiEDG&                                    theless, baptism is the sign and  seal of our being  in-
                                                                     grafted into  Cihrist, of our being incorporated into
                                                                     Him  ;  `and our becoming active,. so as to assume our
      An Expositi@ Of. The Heidelberg part of the covenant of  `God;- is entirely the fruit of
                                                                     ,God's work  h us. In the Lord's Supper, however,
                           Cate&ikq                                  we are active. We come to the  tabI.@ of the Lord. We
                  P                                                  take the bread and wine. We eat and drink. And
                            P A R T   T W O                          the&ore, at the table of the Lord  w.e must be able
                 O..f  Man's  R.edemption                            to  ,discern the Lord's body. While in the sacrament
                       LORD'S DAY XXX.                               of baptism we are passive, in that of the Lord's Supper
                                                                     we become active. We are baptized  ; but  we  partahz
                             Chapter 2.                              of holy communion. Hence,  the-Lord's Supper is only
                         Proper Partaker&                            for, conscious believers;,
         In the following two questions of Lord's Day XXX.              The question arises, therefore: who  must  come to
      the Catechism deals with the question concerning the           the table of the Lord? Who are proper partakers of
      proper partakers of the Lord's  iSupper.  -Qtiestion- 81       the signs of the  br.ead `and wine?. This question is
      discusses this subject -from the viewpoint of the indi-        answered in the eighty-first answer of the Catechism.
      vidual believer,  Que$tion 82  froni the aspect of the         The answer is both positive and negative. Positively,
      inst@tion  of the  church. Or, to put it  differeutly,         the answer is threefold. In the first  Ijlace, the' Cate-
      in the eighty-first question the inquiry concerns those        chism states that only those are  true *partakers of the
      that  shou% come  &;d partake, while in the  eigh.!y-          supper of the Lord. who are truly sorrowful  for their
      second question the problem is who should be admitted          sins. In the second place, they are those that trust
      by the church to the supper of the Lord. Both  qucs-           that  +heir sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, and that
      tions proceed from the principle that  ihe Lord's  Snp-        their remaining infirmities are covered by His- passion
      per is not for all, but only-for believers, and  that  too,    and death. And in the third place, they are those that
      for conscious believers.     This is the difference be-        desire to  ,habe their faith strengthened, and long for
      tween the sacrament of baptism and  the. sacrament             holiness in life and walk. And negatively, the  C&e-
      bf the  (Lord's  Supper. In baptism the children that          chism denies the Lord's Supper to the hypocrites, and
      are baptized  are entirely passive.       Baptism signifies    also to such as  .turn not to God with sindere hearts.
      and seals, according to the Form for the  Aaministra-          These, according to the Catechism, eat and drink judg-
      tion of Baptism, the washing away of our sins through          ment to themselves.
      Jesus Christ. Baptism witnesseth and sealeth unto us,             This places us before the #question of  proper  self-
      according to the same Form, that God the Father                examination. This is also  meritioned in the  Nether-
      makes an eternal covenant of grace with us, that He            land Confession, Art. 35, where we read: "Further,
      adopts us for His children  .and heirs, that  HL will          though the sacraments are connected with thk  thing
      provide us  ,w$h every good  thin,g, and that He will          signified, nevertheless both are not received  by. all
     -avert all evil or turn it to our profit. -Baptism, there-      men: the ungodly indeed receives the sacrament  to
      fore, seals an  act. of God the Father in respect to' his condemnation, but he doth not receive  the truth of
      which we are entirely passive.           Moreover, baptism     the sacrament. As Judas, and Simon the sorcerer,
      also seals unto  us'that the Son washes us in His blood        both indeed received the  sacr-ament,  but not Christ,
      from all our sins,  that He `incorporates us ipto the. who was signified by it, of whom believers only are,
      fellowship of His death and resurrection.  ,Also there         made partakers. Lastly, we receive this holy sacra-
      we are entirely passive, `This, according  to the Bap-         ment in the  assetibly of the people of  {God, with humil-
      tism Form; is an act of God the Son. The same is               ity and reverence, keeping. up amongst us a holy re-
     -true of  the  sacrameilt of baptism. in relation to the        membrance of the death  .df Christ our Savior, -with
      work of the Holy Spirit. According to the same Form,           thanksgiving:  maki-ng  theye confession of our faith,
     _  when we are baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost,          and of the Christian religion. Therefore ho one ought
      He assures  u$ that He will dwell  in us, that He will         to come to this table without having previously rightly
      sanctify us to be members'of Christ,  a<d  ihat He  wi,ll      examined `himself; lest by eating of this bread and
      apply unto  ,us all that we  have. in Christ, the washing      drinking of  t@is cup, he eat  -and drink judgment` to
      away of our sins and the daily renewing of  our lives.         himself. In  3 `word, we  are excited by  thk  us+' of this
      Also in regard to this  I work of the  Holy Spirit  ~ the      holy  sacram%e$! to a f  eivent love `towards Gdd  and our
      baptized infant is entirely passive, It is true,  of           neighbor." This self-examination before we partake
      course,  .that when  the  infant grows up and comes to         of-the supper of  the `Lord is also required in the Form
-    years of discretion; he will assume `his part of the            for the Administration of the Lord's Supper. There
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       418                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

       we read: "The true examination of ourselves consists          for. these weaknesses, and earnestly desirous to fight
     of these three parts:                                           against our  &belief, and `to live-according to all the
              "First. That every one consider by himself, his        colpmandments of  :God : therefore  tye rest assured that
       sins and the curse due to him for  them, to  the end that     no. sin or infirmity, which still  remaineth against, our
       he may abhor and humble himself before God: con-              will, in us,  can hinder us from being received of God
       sidering that the wrath of  ,God against sin is so great,     in  nierky, and from being made worthy  partakers'of
       that (rather than it should go unpunished) he hath            this heavenly meat and drink.`!
       punished the same in his beloved Son Jesus Christ,                 The same emphasis on the necessity of  @elf-examin-
       with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.              ation before we  come to  the table of the  l&d is found
              "Secondly. That everyone examine  l-$ own heart,       in Scripture.    Thus, we read in I  Car.  11:27-34 :
       whether he doth believe this faithful promise of God,         "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink
       that all his sins are  forsiven him only for the sake         this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of
       of the passion and death of Jesus Christ; and that the        the body and blood of the Lord. `But let a man examine
       perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed and freely         himself, and so let him kat  .of that bread, and drink of
       given him as his own,  .yea, so  perf.ectly,  as if he had    that cup, For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
       satisfied in his own person for all his sins, and ful-        eateth.&d drinketh damnation to himself, not discern-
       filled- all  righ.teousness.                 .                ing  t'he Lord's `body. For this cause many are weak
              "Thirdly. That every one examine his own con-          and sickly among you, and  .many sleep. For if we
       science, whether  he,purposeth henceforth to show true        would judge ourselves, we  sho&d not be judged. But
       thankfulness to God in his whole life, and to walk            when. we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord,
       uprightly before -him ; as also, whether he hath laid         that we should not be condemned with the world.
       aside unfeignedly all  enmity, hatred,. and envy, and         Wherefore, my  brethren;when ye come together to eat,
       doth firmly resolve  h&ceforth  to walk in true love          tarry one  fo? another. And  if' any man hunger, let
     and peace with his neighbor."                                   him eat at home  ; that ye come not together unto con-
        . The  .same Form then- continues to state  tiat- all        demnation. And the rest  will-`1:set  in order when I
       tihose; and only those, who are thus  disp&ed God will        come." And in II Cor. 13  :5*  W&,  retid : "Examine your- .
       certainly receive in mercy and  count  them  worthy           selves, whether ye be in `the  faith  ; prove  `y&r own
       partakers of the table of His Son Jesus Christ. But           selves. Know ye not your own  s$es, how that Jesus
       on the other hand, the Form states that all those who         Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
       do not feel this testimony in their hearts eat and drink           The. question of  prqper  self-examination is an  im-
       judgment to themselves. And therefore the Form con-           portant  and also a  difficukt question. Who is the pro-
       tinues to' admonish all who do not walk  according to         per subject of this self-examination? Who is the ob-
       the rules of this self-examination and who  ,are defiled      ject? What must be  the purpose and the attitude in
       with sins of which they do not repent and  wliich they        that self-examination? Must one examine himself in
       db  hot confess, with sins in which they walk, and who        order to find out whether he  is"`; Chrstian, whether
       lead offensive lives,  t&t they must keep away from           he  has the faith? Or  is the question rather whether
       the table of  .the Lord, as those' that have no part in       he is in, and walks in, the faith. A  f&w years ago the
       the kingdom of Christ. Therefore, according to the            question concerning self-examination was very serious-
'      Forin, these, that walk in such sins, and while they          ly discussed by theologians in the  Netherlanc@. T@ere
     `. continue in such sins, must abstain from the Lord's          w&e those who considered that self-examination was
       Supper, lest their judgment and condemnation be made          improper  for%the covenant child of God. They argued
       the heavier.      But the- Form for the administration        that a member of the church  -is in the  co&ant and
       of the Lord's Supper hastens to add that this does not        house `of  (God, and partakes of the blessings  of. the
       mean that only the perfect  may  come to  the table of        covenant. He is baptized as a member of the church,
       the Lord, that only those may partake that are without        and must not forevermore ask: Am  -I a -child? A son
       sin : "For we do not come to this supper, to testify          that lives in his father's house and eats  +at his father's
       thereby that we are perfect-and righteous in ourselves ;      table does not question his  sonship.  A$ therefore
       but  on the contrary, considering that we seek our life       self-examination from this point  ,of view, that is,  from
       out of ourselves in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that         the point of vew of the question whether  dne has the  .(
       we lie in the midst of death; therefore, notwithstand-        faith and whether one partakes of the blessings of              *
       ing we feel many infirmities and miseries in ourselves, `God in Christ,  his really a matter of unbelief. On the
       as namely, that  Fe have not  perfect' faith, and that we     other hand, there  were those that emphasized the
       do not give ourselves `to. serve. God with that  z$al as      necessity of self-examination. They argued that one
       we are bound, but have daily to strive with the weak-         is "in the covenant only through faith. You cannot
     ness of our faith, and the evil lusts of our flesh  ; yet,      base your salvation upon being externally in the cove-
       since  @ye are (by the grace of the Holy Spirit) sorry        nant of grace, And therefore, one must ask the  ques-
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                                      T H E   S.TAN.D.A.RD.  :B.E'iRER                                              419

tion :  Ain I a believer? It is true, indeed, that faith       for certain marks, by searching for something in him-
is assurance and certainty in  i&elf;  b-ut nevertheless,      self. And this  method.  must needs lead to disappoint-
the question is :  .Have I the faith? Besides,- we  must       ment. The  .res'ult of this method will be that the con-
not forget that there are hypocrites in the-church,  and       trite hearts of  the. faithful are dejected `and led to
they must be brought to an honest acknowledgement              despair..  Foj, after all, there is but a small beginning
that they  haye not the faith. There is counterfeit            of the new obedience in  the very holiest, of the Chris-
faith that looks a good deal like the true saving faith.       tian. Whenever the believer looks at himself, he will
And therefore, it is necessary that one examine him-           find much sin and little faith and love. If he tries to
self, in order that he may not be deceived. Moreover,          base the assurance of  this  salv&ion arid of, being a
those that have the faith, but are often weak and              child of God on evidences which- he finds in  himself,
doubting, must be strengthened by having their at-.            he will discover a thousand reasons why he should
tention called to the evidences  and marks of. a true          doubt. And therefore the'question  is : What is proper
and'saving faith. Besides, it was urged that God gave          self+examination?
to  rnsn the pdwer of self-reflection  And introspection,          The subject of all  ,.proper  self-ejamination is the
so that it is possible for him to make himself an object       believer, the Christian. This must be emphasized. It
of his own  ekamination.  And above all, they argued           certain.ly is not, and cannot be, the openly and pro-
that the Word of God urges us  to examine ourselves            fessed ungodly that is the subject of proper' Christian
whether we be in-the faith.                                    self-examination. In the first place, there is nothing
    This question  is not as simple as it would at first       in him that can be examined. It is true, of  c&se,
appear. On the one hand, we must beware of a certain that the ungodly has the power of reflection and of
false objectivism, that would  r,ule out the necessity of      introspection. In  that general sense he can also  ex-
any  f,orm of self-examination by casting the matter -amine himself. .But in  hiti there is nothing but dark-
,of our salvation in the form of a syllogism. The syllo-       ness and ungodliness.  He is incapable of doing any
gism then would,  run as follows : 1  j  The major prem- good, prone to all evil, dead in sin, and in  bo.ndage
ise: the  pl"omise of God is for  .a11 that are baptized.      to corruption. Nor is he able and willing without the
2) `The minor premise : I am baptized. 3) Conclusion :         regenerating grace of the Holy  *Spirit to reform, the
therefore I am partaker of the benefits of Christ.             depravity of his own nature and dispose himself to
This syllogism is  <a&e for the simple reason that the         conversion.       He is sinful, and he knows it. He does
major premise is not true. The promise of God is not           not have to examine  hiniself in order to find out his
for all, but only  ?or them that believe in Christ, and        corruption. The Spirit of  `God impresses upon him
therefore, for the elect. Just as in the Lord's  Sufiper       the testimony of God's own judgment. The book of
`God promises His salvation not to all that receive  th,e      his conscience is filled with the testimony that he is
bread and wine,  ibut only to those that believe  ; so also    ungodly. Hence, we may say that there is nothing
in baptism-the promise of the covenant is only for the         positive-in him that needs to be examined.. Nor is the
spiritual seed. And therefore, we cannot base  the-            ungodly a proper  subject for self-examination.      For.
certainty of our salvation on the mere fact that we are        true self-examination must. be done in the light of
baptized.    On the other hand, we must also avoid the         Scripture and of  God's  own judgment. He that  e%-
danger of a false subjectivism in self-examination.            amines himself must be able to take the prayer of the
There can be no question about the fact that the, Word         psalmist upon his lips : "SearCh-me,  0 God, arid know
of  :God urges us to examine ourselves. But the ques-          my heart : try me, and know my thoughts : And see if
tion that must be determined in this self-examination          there be  any wicked way in me, and  lead me in the
is  not  whether.we shall eat and drink at the table of        way everlasting." And this the ungodly never will
the Lord, .but whether or not we eat and drink un-             and never is able to do. Hence, it is certainly not the
worthily. Hence,  in'1 Cor.  11:28  the apostle does not       ungodly unbeliever that is  the proper subject of  self-
say.*  `{Let a man  examine himself  to determine whether      ,examination. The same is true of the hypocrite. Pr&-
or not he shall .eat and drink of  that bread and of that      cipally, of course, the hypocrite  does not differ from  I
cup." But he writes : "But let a man examine himself,          the professedly ungodly.. The only difference is that
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that            to others&e appears, at least for a time,-and perhaps
cup." .And, in II Cor. 13  :5 the apostle does not write :     for a long time, as a Christian. But for his own  con-
"Examine yourselves, whether you have the faith."              sciousness*he  Goes not appear such. He knows very
This would be impossible. For proper  self-examiria-           well that he is ungodly and  wicked. He does not even
tion  proceed,s  from  .faith. ,Only the true believer can     have to examine himself to discover whether he is a.
real1.y examine himself. But the apostle writes : "Ex-         hypocrite:. for in his heart of hearts  `he knows this
amine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." The             fact very well. And therefore we maintain that the
danger is  that by this method of false, subjectivism          only proper subject of Christian self-examination is
one attempts  td attain to assurance of faith by looking       ,the believer.     The believer is implanted `into Jesus


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420      :                                T H E   S T A N D A R D 'B E A R E R "

Christ by faith.            Christ lives in him. through His    finds that  -he is  ,still a sinner, and only  ,accorcling  to
Spi+t. Christ enlightens  him.,and sheds abroad the             his  st,ate he finds himself to be righteous as  a~ believer
love of God in his heart, works  *in  hiti to -will and to      iri Christ Jesus. The Heidelberg Catechism also ans-
do of  .God's  good pleasure. In this sense, and in this        wers this same question, when, at the close of its  dis-
sense only, he is  2 new creature. And in that capacity, -cussion of the ten commandments, it asks: "But can
as a believer, he is  su:bject  bf this proper self-examina-    those `who are converted to God perfectly  keep:these
tion. It is an act of faith. Only the believer is able          commandments??' And the answer is : "No.:. but even
and willing by virtue of and through the power of  h,is         the holiest men,  whiie  iri this life, have  only..a- `small
active faith to  condtict the self-examination that is          beginning of this obedience ; yet so that with  a sincere
demanded  in-ihe  Wor,d of God.                                 resolution they begin  to. live,  not only according to
   Now it is very necessary, in order to conduct this           some,  ,but all the commandments of God." Let us
proper self-examination,  to- have a clear conception           notice that the  Heidelberger here asks the question-
of what a believer or a Christian is in this present            whether those that are converted to  AGod are  nb.!e
world. `The believer must examine  himself,  that is, he        perfectly to keep God's commandments. The  question
must examine himself with a view to the  que,stion              is therefore not simply whether they  actually~do  keep
whether his condition, his way  an4 walk, is normal,            the commandments, but whether they  cc& keep them.
that is, such as may  lbe expected of a Christian  iii this     That, of course, is a question of their condition. And
present  ivorid and in his present condition. Is his            the answer of `the Catechism to this question is nega-
&on.dition  is it should be  in  tlie light of the Word of      tive-: the Christian, the normal believer, in this world
God? Can he have the assurance that he is a normal              is such not  only, that he still commits sin, but his very
believer? .He must know in the light of the Word of             condition is such that he can never, get' rid of sin in
,God what' is the proper  cr$erion, the proper standard,        this life. But even so,  till is not said. The question is :
of a Christian, before he can fruitfully test. himself.         what then is  the picture of a normal Ohristian? Is
And  theresore, the question  is: what may be regarded          his condition, perhaps, such that he is almost able to
as a normal Christian, a normal believer in  `ohis world?       live sinlessly in the world?  1s he  tiostly`christian,
Is  the Christian perfect? Is he without  sin?. Is he           ,almost perfectly  sanctified,`-,%0 that only. a few sinful
still `a natural  .man,  tith this exception, that he be-       Iblemishes, sinful spots, adhere to him?  &Or may it
lieves that  he is righteous  oniy  in Christ, so that he is    probably be said that the  Christian gradually reaches
justified but not a new creature and  not sanctified?
                _._                                             perfection in' this life?    Is his regeneration, his re-
Or is he principally perfect, yet so, that sin still dwells     generated  cofidition,   such that he  gFadually increases
within him ?                                                    in holiness in the sense that his  sin-fur nature slowly
   To the question what a normal believer and a                 lbut surely  ,disappears,  and that he gradually is de-
normal  Christitin  according to the standard of Holy           livered  fY'om the corruption of the flesh? Also this
Scripture, different answers have been-given. There             question the Catechism answers in the negative, and
is, of course, the answer of the perfectionist. Accord-         answers it very emphatically. It  anbwers:  the very
ing  t'o him, the Christian is one that  iso able to live       holiest has but a small beginning or principle of the
without sin. The  questioi  is not'whether he  actually- new life and of the new obedience. Let us consider
does live without sin, but whether-the  conditioiz of a         this a moment. What does that really mean? It im-
normal Christian is such that he is capable of living           plies that in this life the principle of regeneration
entirely without `sin. And to that question the per-            never increases. Sanctification is no progressive  r&,
fectionist answers affirmatively. And of course,. if            generation.    If the very holiest in this life has but a
the Christian examines  .himself   in the light of that         small  begirining,  ihe less holy  &so has the same prin-
standard, either his self-examination becomes very              ciple,  atid the least holy is in the same condition.
superfioitil,  or he comes to an entirely negative con-         There is therefore no progressive increase in' regenera-
clusion. For no Christian is ever.  capable of living a tion. The Christian has his earthly and sinful nature,
sinless life  in this  prksent  world. On the other hand,       body and soul, and keeps that sinful nature  udtil.the
the antinomian answers that question really. negative-          very end.      It remains carnal, corrupt, ahd earthly
ly. The Christian is in  &very respect really. just like        until the day of his  dea3h.     But  iri that nature there
any other man; like any natural  man, except that he            is a small beginning, a principle  of the  new  .life. The
believes for, his righteousness in Christ  atid that he         very heart of the believer, whence are the issues of
hopes  #in Him for the future. -And, if that is the @, is radically changed.' Hence, the Christian is a
normal  staqdard  of the Christian according  t6.  Holy man that possesses a new dominating principle of life
Writ, it  stands'to  reason that in that case the Chris-        and righteousness and holiness in the midst of a nature
tian that  examjnes himself does  noi look for sanctifica-      full of death, unrighteousness,  and iniquity. And  that'
tion. Thg result  .of his self-examination is negative,         principle of the new life must have dominion. It must
that is, in as- far as his  cqndition is concerned.. `He        reign, even over our earthly and sinful life. Hence,-


                       ,


                 >                      THE  ST.ANDA.RD  -                 B      E      A      R       E      R        `.             421

  he has a delight in  the law of God  according to the          citizen in the state, in his relation as employer to  eni-
  inward man. But he sees another law  ifi his members,          ployee, or -vice versa. He must examine his own deal-
  that wars against the law of his mind. Hence, he, al-          ings in  busin'ess   a%d commerce and  ..indastrg.  :-;And,
  ways sins. He always hates sin. He always does that            of course, he must examine the relation  of himself  to-
  which he hates. And therefore, the normal -believer            his fellow members in the church of Christ, whether
  is a man that is sorry for his sins and fights against         t h a t   i s   t h e   relatidn  o f   `officebe8rer,  `tiiriister,-`elder,  ~
  sin all his,  life,`until the very moment  of his death.       and deacon, to  th_e congregation, or between the mem-
      Now the question is : what must be examined? And           bers mutually. All- -this belongs., to his conversation
the  answer.is:  self.  Iillust examine me. The subject          and walk. And this whole self, inward and outward,
  and the object  iri this examination are the same. The         must be examined with a view to the question: what
  fruit of this examination, therefore must be that I            is  tiy spiritual, ethical worth before  Go'd?
  learn to know myself-in  the  spirit&, ethical  se&e               It is evident,  therefpre, that  ,this  self-examinatian-
  of the word, that I pass  & correct. judgment  dn my           concentrates itself around the three parts of the  aeidel=
  own worth before  Gbd.  But how. is this possible? I           berg Catechism, sin, redemption, gratitude. And these
  certainly am not an impartial judge when I am called           three elements are at the same time the three  pa&s of                             .-
  .to pass a verdict upon myself. When. I comes to me,           proper self-examination  that are mentioned in the
  to examine me, me puts  Qn his best face. And there-           Form  fdr  L the `Administration of the Lord's Supper.
  fore, two factors enter into this examination as  absolu-      And  .again, these same  ,elemen& are referred to by the
  utely  hecessary : in the first place, that the. proper        Heidelberg Catechism  `in"Question and Answer 81.
  sutbject of this examination is the principle of the new           Hence, proper partakers of holy  conimunion are
  life, the new nian in Christ  Jesus: In  the second place,     those who, upon thorough self-examination, fiind that
  it is necessary that I conduct `this examination in the        they' can confess that they are  tfuly sorrowful for
  objective light of Sdripture. When I want to see  my           their sins, or who, as the Form for the Administration
  own face, .I stand before the mirror. When I want to           of  the Lord's Supper expresses it, consider `by them-
  see and judge myself correctly  in-the spiritual sense,        selves their `sins and the curse due to them for these
  I place myself before the mirror of the Word of God.           sins, to the  end-  that they  .may abhor and humble
  And I do this as a new man in Christ Jesus, through            themselves before God. This is very' essential. To`
 the Holy Spirit. The Spirit must apply that Word to             determine at a given time, when in the church  the.
  tie., cause its light to shine into the deepest recesses of    Lord's  @upper  is celebrated, whether we are proper
  myself, make me know through the  .$criptures.   ,God's        partakers, we certainly  must  not ask how holy  and.
  judgment over me, and  g&es me grace to accept that            perfect we  are.- Still less must we approach the Lord's
 judgment. In other words, through faith in Christ               table in the consciousness that we have no sin. For:
  jestis I, as a regenerated man, venture to stand in            "If we say that we-have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
  the judgment of God,  with  th,e prayer of  the psalmist:      and the truth is not in us." I John 1  is. Nor  mu& we
  "Search me,  ,O  IGod, and know my heart;  try me, and         come  $0 the Lord's table in the general conviction of
  know my thoughts  ; and  tsee  if. there be any wicked         the truth of total depravity. But we are true par-
  way in  m6; and  lead me in the way everlasting." It is        takers of the Lord's Supper if: 1) we have a true
  evident from this that this examination is not con-            spiritual knowledge of our personal sinfulness and
  ducted with  5 view to the question  whether,I:have the        our personal sins, sins we can  -enumerate and men-
  faith. The examination itself is an  act of  `faith: But       tion by name before God.  Did we, perhaps, put  our
  the question is whether I am in the faith, and whether         trust in anyone or anything beside the true God as
  in every respect I  ati always a,  fighting  saint.  -i        .He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ  our. Lord?;
     That which must be examined, we said, is self.              Were we, perhaps, the cause that God's name was
  And the question  is  :, what belongs to that self? The        blasphemed because of us? Did  we- neglect the means
  an.sprer  is :  qy whole nature, and all the activity of my    of grace? Is there something wrong in our relation
  nature, my inner  self and the deepest recesses of my          as parents. to children, or  in. the relation of children
  heart and mind, my thoughts, my desires, my  inc'lina-         to parents?  .Are we  faithful to `the vow we pledged ,
  tions, my longings and aspirations,-in  one word, my           when we had  our,children baptized, namely, to instruct
  whole inner  .self. But to my self also belongs my  &x- theni to the utmost of our power  iti the-doctrine which
  ternal conversation and walk: my personal life, my             we profess to believe? Is there in our heart malice,
  words, my looks, my gestures, my actions with rela-            envy, or  k;atred  against the brother? Do-we find that
  tion to God and man. The believer must examine him-            we are or were motivated by the  lust of the flesh, and
  self in his  relatio6  iti the family, the relation between    corimiit  fornication, whether in our hearts or openly?
  husband and wife, between parents and children, be-            Were we  guilty.of dishoriest dealings with the neigh-
tween brother and, sister. He must examine himself               bor ? And do  we seek the things, of the world, rather
  in relation  $0 the world about  him, in his  relation  a,K. than the things which  -are above? Are we faithful


 4 2 2   _                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARtiR

 stewards before God with,  .relation  to the things com-
mitted unto us? Did we commit the sins of the tongue                            More `Strange, Reasoning
in slander and  ,backbiting,  and thus commit the very
.works  of'the' devil?  -Are we  mot`ivated by covetous-                   Tn a recent number of Concordia, May 10, 1951,
ness, and do  we discover all the corruptions of sin in                 ;the  Revsrend  Petter writes the- following, and I quote
 our old nature? Before these concrete questions we                     (page 1, third column) : "It is, I believe the testimony,
mu& place ourselves in order to conduct a proper                        of especially the missionaries, (whom  -1 mention be-
self-examination and to become true partakers of the                    cause they have been most intimately involved in dis-
table of the Lord. 2) We  abhdr ourselves because of                    cussion with the  Li.berated) that the more the  $`scus-
.a11 these sins and repent in true sorrow  after  God.                  sion is calm and  direful, the more the  disagreemenks
Also this is necessary in order  to become worthy p&r-                  disappear." This is a truly remarkable statement..
. takers of the `Lord's table. And also in this respect                 In-fact, it is a statement  complet,ely contrary to all
we must be careful, lest we deceive ourselves.                   The    facts., In this statement we  are told that, according
question is not  tihether our sorrow over sin is suf-                   to our missionaries, the more the discussion is calm
ficiently deep. It never is. Never can we abhor our-                    and careful the more the disagreements disappear.
selves deeply enough because of our sins before God.                    And the Rev.  Fetter adds that our missionaries have
But  th_e question is rather whether our  s&row over sin                been involved most intimately in discussions with the
is true  an,d genuine, that  is, whether it  is not the sor-            Liberated.
row of the world, but the sorrow after God; whether                        `The Rev,  PetI& knows, of course, that the under-
it is not sorrow because of the results of sin, but sor-                signed, also worked among these Liberated. In fact;
row over sin itself, sorrow because by our sin we have                  he was their minister, having  served a congregation
offended the`living God, our Savior in Jesus Christ,                    in Hamilton. And I believe that a local, established
land- grieved- the  $301~   S,pirit. `Besides, we must be               pastor  wofks fully  as. intimately with people as does
careful that our sorrow over sin includes all sin. We                   a  missiotiary. Will the Rev. Petter, therefore,  ex.plain
cannot  .be sorry over sin piecemeal.  We, cannot re-                   why, e.g., the Rev. Cammenga (this is no reflection on
pent  pf 95 percent of our sins, and hide and nourish                   Rev. Cammenga) worked more intimately with these
.the  .rest in our hearts. For then we approach the                     immigrants than did the undersigned? And, secondly,
table  of-the Lord with  a lie in our  iight hand,  whicti will the Rev. Petter also please explain how it is pos-
is an  abominati`on  before God.  #Only, therefore,  those              sible that the Rev. Hofman, in the light of his limited
who are truly sorrowful for their sins, and repent in                   knowledge of the Dutch, worked more intimately
dust  atid ashes, are worthy partakers of the table of                  among them  than did I?
the Lord. 3) We confess our sins before `God and man.                     Besides, Rev. Petter  alsd  declar'es that the more
To confess  is to say the same thing with someone else.                 the discussion is calm and careful, the more the dis-
To confess our sins, therefore, is to express the same                  agreements will, disappear. What an amazing state-
judgment upon all our sins as is rendered by  ,God                      ment!  ,O, I want it thoroughly understood that I  .do
Himself. For:  "If, we confess our sins, he is faithful                 not write this article because I wish to show our people
and just to forgive us  our  s'ins,  and to cleanse us from             that I worked calmly and  carefujly.  - I  a& simply
all unrighteousness."                                                   interested. in our churches. And it is impossible for
                                                          H .   H .     me to permit this statement of Rev.  -Petter to go un-
                                                                        answered and unchallenged. Hence, I wish to place
                                                                        our people before' the following facts.      -
                                                                           First, I wish to remind our people, generally speak-
                                                                        ing, of the following. Hamilton suspended and.  de-
                                                                        ljosed me from the  office.of ministry. Why did this
                         I       N              MEMORIAM                occur, Rev.  yetter?  .Because  `I refused to submit to
   On  J'une   .4, 1951, after a brief illness,  *he Lord  took'unto    the basis as willed by the consistory ! Does this  atl+est
Himself our  ;dear sister and stepmother                                to the probability of these  disagieements  disappear;
                Mrs. Gertrude Helmhol&t+age  79                         ing? Moreover; there is  Chathtim's  rejection of the
  We have the .d8ep  conviction that she is. now in glory and is        fieclaration also for  doct+zal reasons. Mind you, this
freed from all earthly cares and worries.                               corigregation in  Chatham  has enjoyed the fruits of the
                                      Dr. S. Volbeda,                   labors of several of our ministers for two years now.
                                      Mrs. Peter Heethuis               Today this congregation rejects the Declaration; The
                                      Mrs. Albert Pruis                 disagreements will disappear ? Another thing. Our-
                                      Mrs. Arie Meyer                   two  ieminary students from the Liberated. Churches
                                      Mrs. Harm Wustman
                                      Frank Helinholdt                  have enjoyed-instruction in our school since last year.
                                      Henry Helmholdt                   Today they, too, reject the  Declayation. Does this,
                                      Theodore Helmholdt.               R,ev. Petter,  ,verify your statement?


                                          T H E   S'i-ANDARD  B E A R E R -   9                                               423

        How`ever, I have  ,more. I will,  first of all, once       And, although the Rev. Hoeksema refers to this  grticle
      more speak of my experiences in Hamilton. I recall           in the same issue of the Standard Bearer and  addr_esses
-     the case of a family  wliom we visited at least three        a pertinent question to the consistory of  #Chatham, this
      %times, who-attend&d our services last year  from,,1 be-     question of Rev. Hoeksenia has never been answered.
      lieve, the middle of March. These discussions were               (These are' the facts, Rev. Petter. Do you establish
      always friendly, calm,  and  car,ef&. Yet, at the con-       your  conte&on  th&t these Liberated immigrants and
      gregational meeting of  Nbv. 16, 1950 `(the -classical       we will finally agree? Or, do you mean that this-final
      committee will verify this),  thip same party said pub-      agreement will consist herein  th& we lose or forfeit
      licly that he  would pray for my conversion, `and  .h&       our Protestant Reformed-heritage and distinctiveness?
      meant my conversion to the Liberated conception of.              I beg our churches :  Brethren, please face and con-
      the covenant and the promise. Then there is the case         sider these facts. What does this imply?: That we do
      of, the family whom we visited three times, Who found        not discuss matters with the Liberated? Of course
      our discussions so interesting and instructive that he       not !         But it does  .imply that we hold tenaciously to
      begged me  to'come  again and again. He became elder         what we have, lest we  loses our distinctiveness and
      of the group which Rev. Hettinga organized and clear-        calliqg  .as Protestant Reformed  Churtihes.
      ly repealed where he stood when. we visited him the                                                      H. Veldman.
      fourth time. Again, I  i-emind. our readers of  what                                  k=son-
      I wrote in one of my previous articles concerning the
      people who left the  congregatipn~of Hamilton late last
      year. I refer to the  letters~ which they wrote the con-                             Contributions                -`. .
     sistory when they asked for their papers. Six of the              DE AANBIEDING VAN  B.ROEDER  K. C.
      seven declared themselves in opposition to our doctrine               _     VAN SPRONSEN AANGENOMEN
      (the seventh gave no reason for his action).
         There is one more thing to which I would  cali at-. Eerwaarde Redacteur !
      tention. I now refer to the article of Van Dixhoorn              Dit artikel was teruggehouden, in  verwabhting dat
      which appeared in the  Stapdard  Beayer of Feb.  1,1951,     iemand anders broeder Van  Spronsen zou  bean;twoor-
      from which I quote the following: "The two  well-            den. Deze verwachtng bleek  echter tot  dusver ver-
      known Mission. Ministers worked hard in  C.anada             geefsch. Daarom wordt U beleefd verzocht het  vol-
      among the immigrants (Reformed  mant&ining art 31).          gende in  The  Stanclard  Be&er te  plaatsen,-met  de  wel-
      Men have not slpared effort or expense. Men have clis-       willendheid het  te laten vervolgen indien het  te  lang-
      cussed and debated with them for a long time. So that        mocht zijn. Tevens  verqoek it U vriendelijk, indien
      it may safely be accepted  that  .men have  become mu-       mogelijk, het te  ver;tal&,' voor degenen die de  Hol-
      tually acquainted with pne another's stardpoint.  Hsence,    landsche taal moeilijk verstaan. Bij voorbaat mijn
      men also knew in  the. Protestant Reformed Churches          hartelijken dank. Ik gebruik de Holland&e taal omdat
      that the  -out  ,of the Netherlands migrated Reformed        ik mij daarin beter kan uitdrukken, en wellicht.  tot
      people were not minded to give up their Cove?zarzt eon-      waardeering voor den broeder in  gederland.
      ception  here  in  Canada  And that not only because             In  Concorclia  van den 15den Februari,  l.l., verscheen
      tihey in the Netherlands had struggled for it unto the       een brief uit Nederland van K. C. Van Spronsen. Een
      blood, but  also and especially because it is  iheir con-    paragraaf daarin voorkomende,  wil ik in zijn  geheel
      viction that they stand in these things upon the basis       aanhalen  ; hij luidt als  volti: `.It was concerning these
      of Scripture and the Confessions."-end  of quote. (the       conditions that I wrote in my letter in  Concor&a.
      underscoring is of the undersigned). Please note the         .And, therefore, I say once again: there is hot a single
      following. This party refers to the calm and careful         promise of  ,God (that is something  diff$rent than pro-
      labors of the missionaries (I refer, of course,. to Rev.     phecy-Rev. Hoeksema and Rev. De Boer quote Gen.
      Petter's terminology).    The discussion and debate          3  :15, but that is in no sense a  "moederbglofte",   but
      lasted, we read, a long time. The parties' involved          contains a curse over Satan, hence, I  sayj that a prom-
      became mutually acquainted with their respective             ise is something different than  \prophecy-we must
      standpoints.    The result? That, as a result of  ,this      continue to  make clear distinctions) there is not a
      calm and careful. discussion, the disagreements began        single promise of God that is not  conditiotial. And I
      to disappear? Far from it. These Liberated  immi-            continue to challenge anyone to  show me such a  prom-
/     gran,ts,  we ark told in this article,  are not-minded to    is.e out of the Scriptures. And  ttiese are not  Remoli-
      give up their covenant conception here in Canada.            strant promises but Reformed promises; that is to say,
      Mind you, this article, which was written by Van  Dix-       Scriptural promises  ; conditions which God Himself
      hoorn (a member of our congregation at  Chatham, I           realizes in His grace, through man."
      believe.) and appeared in the Standard Bearer of Feb. 1          Het gaat  in deze  stelling  (aangehaald uit den brief)
      of this year, was  never refuted by anyone of  Chatham.      over  voorwaardelijke beloften Gods.  Onvoorwaarde-


                                           i

4 2 4                                     TH-E  S T A N D A R D   BEARER

 lijke beloften  ,Gods zijn er  niet,  volgens den  schrijvei.       gaat  "eenvoudig  is",  maar het  g,estelde, de  stelling als
 l$ij is hierin beslist  ;  ,zoo beslist, dat er een uitnbodiging    zoodanig,  `klat.  is  eenvouc;lig". Dit is maar een kleine
 of uitdaging gesteld wordt  zuiks  aan te toonen uit de             onderscheiding, waartoe  ye"geroepen zijn.
Schrift, dat, n.l., dit  we1 het geval  is.-- Dit is  metter-            Iets, verder in den brief wordt  een'  b@k van Dr.
daad een sterke  uitdr.ukking. Ik besloot dan ook deze               Schilder aangehaald, getiteld:  Looxe  Kalk.  De  aan-
 uitdaging  aan te nemen, en gebruik de genoemde                     haling via Dr. Schilder is.  van Ursinius, die (zooals
 plaats,  ,Gen. 3  :15, als Schriftuurlijk bewijs, dat hier          men  beweert)   twee8rlei  beloften Gods erkent,  n.l.,
 geen- sprake is  vati  iGods vobrwaardelijke Belofte, en ,deze :  Een voorbeeld van een  onvoorwaarcLel#e  belofte
 dat  er geen scheiding is  tusschen Belofte en  Profsetie.          wbrdt gebruikt van hetgeen God- -tot  Noach  sprak :
 Belofte en Profetie zijn onlosmakelijk in en  aan elkaar            Dat Hij de aarde niet meer door een vloed zal  verdel-
 verbondeQ,  al zijn  ze  oak  te:  onderscheiden.      Dat zal      gen..  Doch volgens  Ursinius dan, zijn  er nog andere
 ik later traehten duidelijk te  maken en  &an te toonen.            beloften,  ,die'  voortiaardelijk  zijn. Zij `(de beloften,
 En wat de moederbelofte  -betreft, heeft Gen. 3  :20,               n.1.)  worden vervuld wanneer  wij gelooven.         Dat  is
waar Adam voorts zijne  vrodw Eva noemt, omdat                       de  reden waarom ze voorwaardelijk  zijti. Tot deze
zij een  moeder  aller- levenden is, geen  betrekkipg op             voorwaardelijke beloften  rekent Ursinius de  Sacra-
het laatste gedeelte van  Geti. 3  :15? Ik denk van wel.             menteele beloften tot  bet individu. Wanneer dus de
 Doch vergun mij eerst  aan te  halen de  z.g.n.-voor-               opsteilers der Confessie zoo vrijelijk spreken van  voor-
 waardelijke beloften uit'den vorigen brief uit  Con-                waarden, nioeten dan de Confessies  datirvan niet  door-
 cordia van Feb. 1, 1951.  .Hij haalt eerst Ds.  Hoek-               trokken zijn? Want  ,de schrijver kan  tech niet  ge-
sema-aan- als volgt :                                                stiheiden  zijn van zijn geschrift? `Het is duidelijk dat
    "Rev.  Hoeksetia writes in the Standard Bearer of                deze twee- laatste vragen persoonlijke  veronderstellin-
 December 15, 1950: "The question of binding  nor not                gen zijn,  daaPom-. kunnen zij geen dienst  doen als  be-
binding  is- not important for us as Protestant Re-                  wijs. Waarom blijft de broeder in gebreke de  Con-
formed  Churches. But it has been introduced into our                fessie  aan. te  halen die volgens hem  .zoo doortrokken
 churches by the Liberated. And to put the matter in                 moet zijn van  .Gods voorwaardelijke beloften? En
 its simplest form:. they do not agree with the Protest-             waarom-haalt de  breeder de  Schrift niet  aan tot  bewijs
 ant Reformed truth of the covenant and of the promise               van zijn  geschrijf, in  plaats.  van Ursinius? get staat
 of ,God. They  irlsist  upon maintaining their own  view,           ook  nag. te bezien of' Ursinius  we1  r,ecbt is  aangehaald,
 which is Heynsian. And  `-Heynsianism~ is in  our con-              Volgens deze' aanhaling van broeder Van Spronsen,
 viction Arminianism, common grace applied to the                    heeft Ursinus ook geen plaats onder de Vrijgemaakt
 covenant."                                                          Gereformeerden,  want Ursinus erkent een  onvoorwaar-
    De  wederiegging of  tegen&rgtiment in  ken brief is             delijke belofte Gods, en die zijn er niet, volgens den
 in zijn geheel als volgt :                                          .broeder.    Indien broeder Van Spronsen die  aange-
    "The things are really not as simple as  R'ev.  Hoek-            haalde  voorwaard&ijke beloften van Ursinus  (-want
sema claims.. I  cap understand that he wants to watch               ze zijn of  behooren bij Ursinus, en niet bij of van God)
 against Remonstrantism. That is especially in Ameri-                huldigt en zoo overneemt, behoeft hij  waarlijk niet
 ca, a  gredt danger.    (In Europe perhaps no less.). But           ver  te zoeken voor een Remonstrantsche  Vrij,gemaakte,
he does the Liberated  immigr_ants a grievous injustice              want wat is het' anders dan dat  ,Gdd afhankelijk wordt
when  h'e accuses  theti of "Remonstrantism," (even                  gemaakt `van den mensch, al is het ook, dat  ,God eerst
though it be. restricted  to "within the covenant") .                dat geloof geeft. Erger nog, het ruikt meer naar
car I  say  again  openli and very  positively  : there  are         Pelagianisine.  Ook hier is duidelijke  onderscheiding
nc& such "Remonstrant" Liberated people."                            noodig.
    Wat heeft, de  breeder met  dit argument nu  be-                     Er wordt in den brief ook scheiding gemaakt.  tus-
wezen? Absoluut niets! Want de laatste zin, die de                   schen  fGer,eformeerd,e  `en Remonstrantsche  voorwaar-
kracht van het  akgument moet aangeven,  berust op                   den. Het ging op de Synode van 1618-19 om een  Gere-
persoonli$%e   veronclerste&ng, die onhoudbaar is. Het               formeerde voorwdarde inplaats van een  Remonstrant-
 is  feen sterke  uitdrtikking die hij niet  bewijien kan.           sche, zoo schrijft de broeder. Dit zijn dan de z.g.n.
 Ieder  we!cJenkend  persoon zal dit zekerlijk  moeten  toe-         bewuste voorwaardelijke beloften. die in den brief
`stemmen. Een goede "debater" zou op de zaak  moeten                 van den lsten Februari  voorkomen, en waarvan gewag
 ingaan en b.ewijzen dat de besehouwing der  Vrijge-                 gemaakt wordt in den brief van den 15den Februari.
inaakten,  waarovek het gaat, niet Heynsiaansch of                   We  willen-  dezen brief nog  v.erder aanhalen. De brief
 Remonstrantsch, maar Schriftuurlijk is. Ziet, als dat               begint met persoonlijke vragen tot Ds.  Hoeksema. De
 gedaan werd, zouden we elkander beter kunnen  ver-                  bedoeling uit een  dier vragen is  ,duidelijk, want de
 staan.    Verder wordt de fout hier begaan door het                 schrijver schrijft : --
 "eenvciudige" toe  te  passen op het verschil den zaak.                 "It appears that  Rev. Hbeksema is especially alarm-
 Da.  `Hoekaema schrijft  niet,  dat de  zaak  wasrover  h&          ed  keca%k;.of  my attack upon the so-called  "Declara-.


                                        4:  f.3  E  .:.S.TA  ti D AR  B'  .`:B..E.A  R E  k                                                                :ggFj
                                                                                                                                                            _-
 tio`n" and he finally accuses me of having alleged much           sdeze beschuldiging  6f met  getuigen,wa;&.te'mhkeh;   6f
 and proved nothing.                                                anders  z6 ook weer in het  opertbaar met  ~bettii'&rg:van
     "It had assumed that Rev. Hoeksema had already                 leedwezen  &rug  te  nemen?                       :  `:i  .I ;  ti.:.?;.~:...:;,:;.~
 noted the proof in  De  Reformatie;.   in which a better                                       Met .de meeste, hoogabht'ing,.r;,  ,.' >.i-'
 pen than mine has sharply scanned the Declaration and                         t`.:                          Uw'dwi~:.,  -,::..:s  ":.:~;~:~.i~.~
has assayed its inefficiency. loveragainst the statement                               .\                          ..J.:~~~:~aa~;ltei::.~,
 of the Declaration: ?Seeing then that this is the clear                                     -  ~  -  ,'  -::  ~~:,>.':."..-'  y.'
 teaching of our  confes&on  we repudiate the teaching                                                                 `.L,;  ,y'       .) :.:.:..L-i.,.,
 that the. promise of the covenant is conditional and for                   .Once More, - `Phe% Promis+ :: -1 I
                                                                                                                       .
 all that are baptized,' Prof.  Schilder advances the                                                                       _  ..'  :  j  i.,  `2  -1
 proposition: to speak of a  teaching  of a conditional                 In my previous article on this  subject! I  tiade  -plain
 promise, as  teaching,  is only clear  %f  owe  says  ,exactly    that though all  coriditional sentences  .are  :  `%.:&use?'
what  ti  und&stoo.cE  thereby,  (I can, for example, agree        sentences, all "if-clause" sentences.  :are  ,not'  condition'&
with a certain teaching-of conditionality and be very              sentences.                                     ./  .:%!             -'  ;  :  ?,  :  .;  ,,
                                                                                                                                                      .
much opposed to another-against that of the Remon-                      I illustrated this point., I  pointe&   ouh. that the
strants, for example)  ."                                          thought conveyed by such  d statement  as,L`"If;a-child
    Zoo is de geheele  aanhaliqg uit  De,Reformatie  .als           breaks  but with a scarlet rash, it has scarlet  -fever;"
tegenstelling.                                                     is not certainly that a child is taken down  ,withlscadt
               .      (wordt vervolgd) .                           ,fever on the  condit?on  that it breaks  1 out  -with,scarGt
                                     J.  .R. Kuivenhoven.          rash. Fbr  certai.nly,  so I remarked,. the. rash  is.-riot   the
                                     Kalamazoo;'  Mich.            cause of the scarlet fever,  .but  .-the.:  sm$fom,  df  !  ii.
                         * *  * 4                                  But the man who says to his  neighl%r,""%f   $%`aiie;:dn
                                                                   3his or `that street corner at  nine!~a'clo'ck,:~o~6~~~~
                     UIT NEDERLAND                                 morni'ng, I will pick you up in my ccP,"`: &i+s:utiek@e
                                   Neede, 27  April,, 1951         to a real conditional sentence. FOP,' So I  ~ri&srked,
Aan de Redacteur van  T&e Standard  Bear,er.                       the clause in italics is expressive of  &`real  cc%%tiohL
Hooggeachte Ds. Hoeksema !                                         condition always in the sense of  prei!equisite,l   ~"vo-o~-
    De  Heer H. De. Jong heeft  aan ondergeteekende                .waarde"-that the prospective. rider  df  :hiS.  owfii free
verzocht te  willen meedeelen, wat het resultaat'was op will agrees to realize and  also,  m,ust:,re,alize::in-:.oY;cier
een onderzoek-inzake de door den heer de Jong geuite               to be picked up by his obliging  neighbdr.  ::;  ::..:  `_  :i,i:  -.Y
beschuldigingen  aan het adres  -van een  tweetal  predi-               There are' then, so .I concluded,  ari&ri&hrtftil-1y.I SO,
kanten, die  zich niet zouden gehouden hebben.  aan de             two kinds of "if-clause"sentences : " $~~~`~t;i&~~~.:  t&d
officieele vragen bij den Doop. Laat ik hierbij even               non-conditional "if-clause"  sentende&.`+   ?I%&$~   &tir.be
mogen meedeelen,  ,dat ds. C. J. Janse van  Rijsw,ijk              put into one class and be called  `by-ori&?tiatiei~:   l&it;-`%
over dat geval  o.m. schrijft:                                     was  remarked,+0 avoid confusion in  &:up  @&s&it  `diB
    "Als de heer de Jong  zich  hkrinneyt, dat ik in den           pute, that name should not be  "co_nditidnal   .s&&i.ce$'  X
,dienst van 23  Juli-een volwassene  doopte, dan heeft             but "if-clause" sentences ; and the  name'&?  `e&&kitid
hij gelijk. Hij  he&ft ook gelijk,' $ls`hij, zegt, dat het         of sentences within  _ the  clas's~  should:;be :  G~nori~con-
een vrouw was. En hij heeft  eveneens gelijk, als hij              digional if-clause sentences," and  "c&dition&  If.+clause                                       -
beweert; dat er meerdere  vragei  ,g&&eld.  werden.                senterices."                                     `.. . . . .
                                                                                                                                       ,.  ,..  _.`,  `.`..-i,~i
  . Maar welke vragen werden  gesteld?!                  a.            We next faced the question : what is  stich-a*de&ra-
    IOf zij  gelooftde  in  QBn doop en niet in twee, n.1:.in      tion as, "If' you believe, you will be  -save'd??.  4s' it a
een ware doop en in een  schijndoop?.                              "non-Conditional if-clause sentence;?  `or-a-."conditibnal
    Dat is volkomen uit de lucht  gegrepen!`                       if-clause sentence?' The lquestion was:answe&d (thus:
 . Ik stelde de vragen uit het formulier voor `be  be-             "It ought  %b be as plain as the  stin  .in  the:heavens;   that
diening van den doop  aan  volwassen&  Bn uit het  for-            such a declaration as  ."if  .you believe,  @u  itiill:-  `.bti
mulier voor de  openbare  btilijd,enis des  geloof;.               saved," is  ,a non-conditional~if-clause  declar&tion,`?~~   f.1
    En naast de formulieren heb ik geen woord gezegd.`,                Let us now  face this question: Wh& is" `.$j&,  .`a
    Zoover hetgeen ds. Janse over het bewuste geval in             declaratisn as, "If you believe  yoti'will be  `satr@d,";`to
een brief  mgedeelt.  Vati ds. Janssen van Leeuwarden              be called-? Is it right to call such  a'.de<la.rtitiGfi   ti%oti-
hoorde ik nog niets.                                    n          ditional promise"? There can be but  -on& answer. It
    Vali dit geval  iYas de heer de  Jong  "ceytain". Van is not right to call such a  decla&ti'on.`a  +eotiditi&til
het andere blijkbaar  niet: Daarbij zal  vermoedelijk promise."' And  this for, two reasons. 1)' pi;s`.  *as
we1 het  jbekende Formulier zijn gebruikt. Mag ik den stated, there is not an atom of  promise  Pn such a  Sttite-
heer  H:de  -Jong, die in  het openbaar  in  dit. blad twee        ment. 2) Such an  expressi`on as  `.`coliditiollBF  p$ni&?X,
predikanten  beschuldigd. heeft,  vriendalijk.   `verzoeken        when used with reference to  Chris&   ~s&l+&i&$:&$$


426                                    T H E   ST'ANDARD  B E A R E R

contradiction in terms. For the word  condition  in the         blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee,
sense of "voorwaarde", spells uncertainty, while the            if thou, shalt hearken tinto the voice of the .Lord thy
characteristic of the "promise", is its certainly. The          God.                -
"promise", therefore can no more be`conditional than               "Blessed  shalt.thou be in the city, snd  blessed,dhalt
things" truly certain can be  duncertain. We can, of            thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit `of thy
course, make a way for ourselves out of this difficulty         body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy
by saying that God fulfills the condition, and that             cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks `of thy
therefore the term condition, "voorwaarde" in this              sheep," and  so. on through verse 14.              -'  "  :
connection also  .spells certainty. But then we  pl,ay             `The section that follows (28  :X-28)  records  -the
hocus pocus with words, definitely  with- the word              curses for  disobe'dience.
conditionj' "voorwaarde". And what I mean by play-                                            . .
ing hocus pocus with words is to `use words in a sense             "But it `shall come to pass,  if thou wilt  `hea&en
                                                                unto the voice of the Lord thy God,. to observe to do all
that they do not have in every man's dictionary. As I           his' commandments and his statutes which 
explained in a previous, article, the Holy Spirit in                                                            I command
preparing for us the Scriptures never did that. He              @ee  this  dazj; that all these curses shall come `upon
did not use Hebrew and  <Greek words in a sense that            thee, and overtake thee: cursed shalt thou be in the
was contrary to the sense that these words had in               city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field," and so on
the Hebrew and Greek languages as spoken by men.                to the end-of the section,-a section the closing words
The Lord  IGod did not deal with words in that way in           of which read, "These are the words of the covenant,
communicating to man the thoughts of His heart.                 which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the
How could we understand the Scriptures, had  <God so            children of Israel in the land of  Moab, beside the cove-
dealt with words? In the  iScriptures the words of our          nant which he made with them in Horeb."
earthy, human language serve as symbols of the things              In chapter 29 Moses now appears as presenting all
heavenly, but certainly without loss of their primary           Israel before the Lord to enter into-His covenant. He
meanings.       Christ said, "I am the bread of life."          exhorts the people to obedience, and sets forth the
But as in  ,every man's vocabulary, the word bread              great  ,wrath of  (God. on all such that flatter themselves.
here still signifies. bread and not a stone.                    in their wickedness.  `To add weight. to his' exhorta-
       But if it is not -right to call such a  Scripture-       tions he sets forth the truth that "the secret things
statement  .as, "If you believe you' will be saved,"  a         belong to the Lord our God: but those things which
conditional declaration, what then shall we call it?            are revealed belong unto us and to our children for-
We should call such a statement simply a "non-con-              ever, that we may do all the works of the law."
ditional if-clause sentence." To say of such state-                As  we. shall see, the discourse of the chapter that
ments that they are conditional as to the form of their         follows (30  :l-10)  is a prophecy in which great mer-
words and grammatical structure, but nevertheless               cies are promised to the penitent.         The next four
non-conditional as to their real meaning can only lead          verses `(11-14) set. forth the truth that the word of
to -confusion and a lot of unprofitable debate in our           God-the commandments of the Lord-that Moses
present dispute.                                                had communicated to the people, was "very nigh unto
       IAS was stated, both the Old and the New Testament       thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest
are replete with such non-conditional if-clause state-          do them."                '
ments as, "If you believe, you will be saved," and, "If            The words that Moses spake next (verses  X-30)
you believe not, you will be damned."                           closes the entire series of sermons.       Of these words
       We must now take up the matter of the function of        of Moses we must take careful notice. For they con-
such Scripture-statements. What is their reai func-             tain the answer to the question of the' true function           _
tion? The question is definitely answered by Moses in           of such Scripture-statements as, "If you believe, you
                                                                will be saved ; if you believe not, you will be damned.,'
his third farewell address to the people of Israel (Deut.
27:1-30 :20). Here are found the blessings. for obedi-             The passage reads, "See, I &ve set, before thee this
ence and the curses for disobedience, all  .of which  .Moses    day  life  and good, and. death and evil  in that I com-
communicated. to the people as pivoted on if-clauses-.          mand thee this day to love the Lord thy *God, to walk
the blessings on the if-clause, "if thou obey," and the         in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his
curses on the-if-clause, "if thou dost not obey."               statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and
       Spake Moses to the people, chap. 28  :l, "And it         multiply ; and the Lord thy  (God shall bless `thee in
shall come to pass,  if  (Hebrew, im)  thou.shalt. hearken      the land whither thou goest to possess it.         .~
diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God,  to  obz            "But if thine heart turn away,' so that thou wilt
serve and to do all his commandments. which I com-              not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other
mand thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee         gods, and serve them ; I denounce unto you this day,
on high above all nations of the earth : And all these          that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not  pro:
                                                                                                     \f


                                           T H E ,   STAN,DARD  .BEARER                                                        424
            .
 long your days upon the land, wither-thou passest  over- and shalt obey his voice  .according to all that I  corn-
 Jordan to go to possess it..                    D                    mand thee this day, thou and thy children, with all
         "But if  thine. heart turn away; so that thou wilt           thine heart, and with all- thy soul ; that then the Lord
 not hear,, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other. will turn thy captivity,, and-have compassion upon thee,
 gods, and serve them ;  -1 denounce unto you this day,               and will return and gather thee from all `the nations,
 that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not pro-              whither the Lord thy  ,God hath scattered thee.  *
 long your days upon the land, whither thou passest                      "`If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts
  over Jordan. to go to possess it.                                   of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy  ,God gather
         "I call heaven and earth to record thk'day  .against         thee, and from thence  ,will he fetch thee  ; And the
  you, that I have set b,efore you life and death, blessing- Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy
 and cursing; therefoy:e choose'lif.e, @at both thou and
                                                         --           fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he
  thy seed may ikpz."                                                 will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
         We must concentrate on the sentences, in italics.               "And, the Eord thy God will circumcise thine heart,
  They tell us what the Lord by the  voice,of Moses was               and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God
  doing  ,in giving utterance to such speech .as,  "If thou           with with all thine heart, and with all thy  soul,  that
- shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of  theLord  thy            thou mayest live..
  God . . . all these,  cblessings shall come upon thee ;                "And the Lord thy God will put all these curses
  but if thou wilt not hearken, unto the voice of the                 upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which
  Lord thy God, to observe all His -commandments .               *
                                                               :.,    persecute thee. And thou shalt return and obey the
  that all these curses shall come upon thee . .  ." By               voice of the Lord  ,and do all his commandments which
  this speech. the Lord was doing this: He was  sett@g                I command thee this day.                          :
  before His, people-reprobate and elect alike-life and                  "And the Lord thy  #God. will make thee  $enteous in
  good, death and evil ; and in addition telling -them                every work of thine hand, in the fruit  of,& body,
      one and all that the way of life and good is the way            and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit  of. thy  -
      of obedience to his commands  ; `and being holy God,            land, for good; for the Lord will again rejoice over
He was at once commanding them to choose life and                     thee for good, as he rejoiced over `thy fathers:  if  thou
  good.                                                               shalt hearken unto- the voice of the Lord thy Go,d, to
        _ Such, then, is the function of the "if" clause sen-         keep his commandments and his statutes which are
      tences in the Bible of the type, "If you believe,, hearken' written in this book of the law, and if  thou turn unto
      unto the voice of the Lord, you will live,`, or in the          the  Lo& thy  God with all thine. heart, and with all
  `Gospel language of the Scriptures, "If  you  believe. in           t h y   s o u l . "
the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved." The view                       What we have here is plainly prophecy  and. prom-
      according to which the Lord by such speech promises             ise. `Moses, being a prophet and of all`the prophets the
      men life and  lbequeaths  upon them the right to life we -greatest, here foretells the exile of the  .people of Israel
      must not have. It is not the view of the Scriptures.            and the ultimate turning of their captivity. The Lord
      Not the promise of life and salvation but the  presenta-        will again bring them into the land `which-their fathers
      tiow  -of life and salvation comes to men as pivoted on         possessed ; He will do them good above their fathers.
      "if"clauses, and likewise the presentation of death and         He will circumcise their heart-and will make them
      evil. And as was just stated, the sole function of the          plenteous in every work of their hand,  if  they hearken
      "if"clause, "if thou obeyest and  `believest," is to  pre-      unto the voice of the Lor.cl," and "if they turn unto the
sent to men the way that leads to life and the sphere                 Lord their Go#d."
      in which life and salvation is possessed and enjoyed.               Here the promise is  indeed,pivoted  on "if" clauses,
      But for all the reasons  gresented in the foregoing             but not so however in the Hebrew text, which reads
      articles on this subject, the promises of God are not           not  "if  thou shalt hearken," and  "if  thou turn. . . ,
      "if-clause' sentences".                                         but, "when  thou shalt hearken . . .  ." and  ~"when
         However, the discourse of Moses in one of its sec-           thou shalt turn.  i .  ." The Hebrew participle here is
      tions (Deut.  30:1-10)  seems to contradict the view            not  iti but  ki and must be translated  when.                  .
      of things here presented, that is, the view that no-                The message then is this: The Lord will bring his
      where in all the Scriptures are the promises of  God_ people into the land of their fathers, He will circum-
      set forth as pivoted on "if" clauses of the type, "if thou      cise their heart..  `As a result "thou shalt return and
      believest". The section in question reads:                      obey the voice of the Lord. (verse 8)  ." And the Lord
          `-`And it shall come to pass, when all these things         will abundantly bless them (verse  9))  whqn they shall
      are come upon thee; the blessing and the curse, which           hear&x unto-H& voice and when they turn unto hiti.
      I have set before thee, and thou shalt call themto'mind         Not an  "if,, clause appears in this communication.
      among all the nations, whither the  L<ord thy God hath          What we have here is promise.
      driven thee,  and  shalt return unto  \he Lord thy God,             The  promises-of;God   are.`fif-less" indeed, and  there-
 I


428                                         T H E   S T A N D . A - R D   BEARER
                                   .-
fore  .of necessity unconditional. And they come  .only              heard'the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
to:.the elect,  .Chat   :is, historically the believers.             in whom also after ye believed, ye were  sealed with
 . . !!?his  .vieti:of.:the matter  is also  that,`of our Confes-    t h a t   holy.Spirit  o f   p r o m i s e . "
s i o n s .   :  1. ' . .  .:.'                                          I Ti. 4  :8,  !`For bodily  exekcise- profiteth little:  but
 aSo*  in, Art. 5 of the Canons, 2nd. head,  ". . . the              godliness is profitable unto all  .things, having  promise
 command  .to repent and  ,believe ought to be declared              of the life that now is and of that which is to come."
 and: published,  ,to all nations, and to all persqns  pro-            2 Ti. 1  :l, "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
qQqou@y and without distinction, to whom God out                     will of God, according to  the' promise of life which is
 o,ft  his,,good  pleasure sends the Gospel."                        in Christ Jesus.!'
     I,:yelzle.al, here with `God's moral will or the. will of           Heb.  6.:13-15, "For when God made promise to
His  qrnmand. by, which God  makes known what men                    Abraham, because he  .could sware by no greater, he
must  +J. As  ,many of them to whom God sends the                    sware-  by himself, Saying, surely blessing I will bless
`Gospel   mu.st  :Fepent and believe. So God commands                thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.  Anq so, after
atid,  seriotisiy  -comtiands also the reprobated, whom. He          he had patiently endured, he obtained the  promtie."
 i's  sover.eignly  determined not to save but to  ha+en by              2 Pet. 3  :4,  "And'saying,.  Where is the promise of .
tiis'word  an'd  Gospel in  breparation  of the destiny              his coming?"
to  which,,H,q  ifl His sovereign good pleasure appointed            2   P e t .   ..3:13, "Nevertheless- we,  :  aciording to  .his
 ilien& _ AlsO  @ese certainly are' unfeignedly called,              promise, look for new heavens and a new  ea%%h', where-
 tl&t  _  i?;  "d&i&z@`ed  of  [God to repent  and believe.          in dwelleth righteousness."                                             `.
                                                                                                                                        :
 "`p@";`ifi   th$ language of, the Canons' (Art. 8  oi the               The following Scripture-passages speaks  .of prom-
 3+d  in&  dZh::  hcad)  ; `$God  bath most  earnestly and i s e s :                                                   .,  .-     2
 +@y.  decl?red  i" his word, what  @ill be acceptable to                Rom. 9  :4,  .!`Who are Israelites  -.. . . to  .whom  per-
 h@;'  tiatiely'  that  ill who are called," that is,  `com-         taineth  the promises."-                                    . .
 ~,a$&&.   ~~$iMld  comply with the invitation," that is,                Rom. 15  :8,  `!Now I say  that  Jesus  -Christ was a
 $6  &fu+mlci;   .I                                                  minister of the  ~circu&i~ion for  the truth of God, to
      '  i$i"it  .&deed  is. Beihg holy God; He delights in          confirm the  promkes made unto the fathers."
 &%ddin&   `and- hates all unbelief and disobedience.                    2  COr. 6  :18,  7  :l, "Wherefore come out from among
 &c&~dir&ly,   `it is-acceptable to  I&m as holy  ,God that          them, and-be ye separate saith the Lord . . . And I
 all"th&e'  *ho  ;qr'e commanded  tb believe should  obey-           kill  re.ceive you,  ,and ye shall  (be my sons and daugh-                    _
 all`  &$e who `are commanded, including to be sure                  te?s, saith  the Lord almighty. Having therefore these  '
 the reprobated,  "&tid this despite the fact that He has            promises dearly beloved,  let us cleanse ourselves. .  ."
 sovereignly reprobated them.  .He seriously comman-ds                   It is clear  .fr,om  these p&sages that in speaking of
 also  duch to believe.. But he does not  iii `His  .%ord fhe promise  and  iri addition of  promises, the Scriptures
 p&rniSe `the-  rdprobat.ed  eternal  life,'  and rest. The, do not have  refeqence to one great outstanding promise
 ti?&iise.   pf'$fe- comes only to the elect,. This,  too, is' of some one thing and of a number- of promises smaller
 &&ding  t6 the. teaching of  the. Confession,' The con-             in  compari.son.
 &?&r&  se&e&e  `if Art. 8 of the  `&d and 4th head                      For let  us  take notice. -According to Gal. 3  :4 and
 @`the  ,&fio& `reads, "He, moreover,, seriously prom;               Eph.  1:13_the  p-ro?riise is that of the Spirit. *AC&ding
 ises  &&&l'.life  alid rest, to as many as shall come to            tot 1 Ti. 4  :8 and 2  Ti..  l':l,  the promise  is that of life.
 him,  `gnd'believe on him."                                         According to 2 Pet. 3  :4, the promise is that of Christ's
     -" As  i&&  U;ho  come to him are the elect,. the doc-          ctiming. According to 2 Pet. 3  :13,  the promise  is that
 trine  of,  this article is to the effect that, though `God         of  new. heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
 cbti$&ds,   alAo, the  reprobat&  to repent, He  $ilroqises         righteousness.
 t6'  `save  o'&ljr `the elect;, historically the believers, as
           .,_..                                                         But let us now  take notice also of this. At 2  Car.,
 mz$y, as.' ~@-I~' to Hiin. In a word, according to  the             6 : 18, 7 : 1, Paul includes in the promise`s the following :
 t'eaching'  bf. this article, the  pro&se of God comes  un-         1) Our being received of God..  -.2) His calling us His
 Condition&y  c&y to  thi  eledt.
:                                                                    sons  and daughters, and  further,`&  Rom. 15  :8  ,a11 that
       !  1.~  co$ugion  a word about  ilIe promises  and the
                                                  :                  was promised the Fathers--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 l&&e:'                     "                                        Now certainly any of these  pyomties are just as `great
        The _. f ollokiqg rscripture-passages s p e a k of the       as any  .pf -the promises to `which the  S&iptures  refer
 $o$s.e.  Gal;  3  :14, "That the blessing of Abraham                as  the promise.  Every one of the total of promises is
 @gl$ come  op the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ; that              great, The one is not less. great than the other. And
 we.  might receive  :the  promise of the Spirit through             ti$e  promise is any  on& of the  .total.
 f&t&[`, Throughout his epistle to the Galatians. Paul                    In  ,fine, Scripture  knows  liot of the one great prom-
 usually speaks of the promise.                                      ise  .and besides  of, promises little or  amall in  compari-
       :Eph.:,1:13,  -"In  whoti ye also  t&sted,  after that ye     son with- the: one.


                                                                 T H E   STA,N-DARD B E A R E 'R   .!  '                         0                                  429

          There is a reason that the  Scrip&res speak of                                   In these  ,words we have a  cpntinuation of the
   pr.dmises, and  bf promise. `The salvation of  (God  .is                            thought expressed by Paul  -in the  former verses.                            In
   manysided and includes a  wondehful  variety of riches                              verse 5 Paul states, that we have become  unit&d most
   -riches of His grace.                                                               clearly with Christ in the likeness  bf His death and
                                                                   G. M. Ophoff.       thus also into the  liken&s  of His resurrection. And
                                                                                       it is because of this. close affinity that we ought to
                                     i:    $      :i:     :I:                          walk in newness of life.       The old things of sin and.
                                                                                       guilt have passed away and all things have become
   FROM.  H O L Y   W R I T new  for'us in Christ.  `Tha$ this is true  in'the believers
                                                                                       Paul continues to show in these verses that we have
                                                                                       chosen for our study in this article.                    _
          `Exposition. of Rorn& 6:Kk                                                       That the old has passed away and that things have
                                                                                       become  nsw. with the newness of life and hope is a
                                           IV.                                         matter of the. sanctified experience  o!l! the believers.
         It should  be. most clearly kept in view, that the                            That is what  iS emphasized by Paul in our text. Writes
   apostle Paul in this passage is proving most conclusive-                            he : "This knowing, that  otir old man has  be& crucified
  ly the impossibility of remaining in sin that grace                                  with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. .  ."
  may abound.                                                                          In this "knowing" Paul  do& not merely wish to add
         It is true, the  Apbstle had stated that where sin                            an addition to  `-the  f,ormer sentence in the sense  .6f:
  abounded, grace did much more abound. In fact it                                     "and this we know, that our old man is crucified with
  was with this very thing in mind, namely, the greater                                Him." Not at `all ! Paul used the  .active  participle :
  abundance of thk grace of God, that the law was added                                this knowing. . . ! Paul. means to say : we are indeed
  by  IGod~ through Moses. And it is the infidel  and the                             most closely grown into Christ, in the likeness of His
  sophist, who draw  .the, erroneous and spiritually im-                               death and in the likeness of His resurrection. And
  possible conclusion, that if such were the case,  then                              this is a glorious reality in our life by the constant
  we had better practice the sin- of the  A&ino&ans,                                   consciousness of faith, by which we experience that
  who say: Let us then remain in sin, that grace may                                  our old man has been indeed once and for all crucified
  abound !                 .,                                                         with. IChrist !                                      .
        Paul's strong point of departure, thus- we saw in                                  What an appeal to  .the sanctified experience of
  our former articles, is the very nature of the work                                 f a i t h `!                                                             .
  of  .Christ  in His death and  r&urrection. In  this'death                             It is a veritable confession of faith, of living and
  on the cross Jesus  ,died unto sin  ; He condemned sin.                             abiding faith, for which all things  i'n life have be-                               -
  in the flesh, that the righteousness  df the law might                              come so completely new and changed in  Christ: that
  be fulfilled. All righteousness must be  ful$&d;, the                               we say:  `We have been crucified with Christ. -When
 +illars of  IGod's   thrbpe- must stand. Christ has ful-                             Christ was made  ti curse on the  tree,  wheti He died
  f i l l e d   a l l .                                                               for  us,- then we were. crucified with Him unto sin.
        Hence the terrible conclusion: let us remain in sin                           We can therefore as believers never return. It is  iti-
  in order that  grace:may abound does not hold at all.                               possible, impossible ; it is wholly unthinkable for faith !  o                            '
  They, who speak thus, err not knowing the Scriptures,                               It-is  unthilikable? And why? Because we are know-
  nor do  -they know the bower of God's saving grace                                  ing this fact with a knowledge of experiential faith,
 wrought  throuih the Holy Spirit. And those who do                                   that we have been crucified  with Christ. When-we
 know this quickening and supernatural  oper&ion of                                   have learned to say: Far be it from me to glory save
 the Holy Spirit by faith will never thus speak.                               For    in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which
  "it is impossible that those, who are  ,implanted into                              I have been crucified to the world and the world to
-Christ  by a  tru& faith; should not bring forth fruits of                           me, then the dye is cast! We can  liever return. He
 thankfulness".                  Heid. Cat.  Ques: 64. The new and                    that  .is born out of God sinneth not, for that His seed
 joyful  spiribual  cotisciousness  is of such a nature that                          of the-Word  remaineth in us,. it  dwells  in us, it abides                                    '
 it cannot will to sin. It cannot-will to return  unto                                in us;                               `1                             :
                                                                                                                                                     i
 that unto which it has radically died, unto  which we                                    Shall we remain  in sin that grace may abound? !
 have been crucified with Christ.                                                     G.od f oflbid !
       It is of this. that we read in the verses' 6 and `7 of                             Nay, the very opposite is the case with, us. We
-this. chapter. We quote it as follows:  "Xnowing this,                               have died unto law through law, so that it is not longer
 that our old' man was crucified with him, that the                                   we who  liye,  but Christ who lives in  us.. -
-  btidy of sin might be done away, that so we should no                                  And the purpose of this? To  continue- in sin,
 lgnger be in bondage to sin ;  .for he that hath died is                             that  gr,acb may  &bound?;   I_s Christ the author of  .sin ?
 j u s t i f i e d   f r o m   s i n . "                                _.            Nay, the very purpose of Christ's living in  us,  ,,&;-  t&t


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                ,  1
        43s                                          T       H     E         STANDARJI..  BBA.R.ER .
          _ _                .._..  -
       our  body of.  sin  ,be destroyed, be done away, be  made,             members, that we must still constantly fight against
       as having no-pow& nor influence in our life. Christ                    sin in faith and by a `prayerful believing  spiriti by
       dwells in us by His Spirit and grace, and pow we have                  quoting the Canons of Dort, Head of Doctrine V,  A&t.
                                                                                                                        a
       been  crticified   witlh Christ. `Our "old man" is crucified           l - 3 .
       w i t h   H i m .                                                         In article 1 we read: "Whom God calls according
               What does this imply? -What is our "old  fan",                 to His purpose, to' the communion of His Son, our
       and. what does it  .mean that he is crucified with                     Lord Jesus Christ, and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,
       Christ?                                                                He delivers also from  thi! dominion and slavery of
           As to the `former `we  can say, that our "old  man"                sin in this life ; though not altogether from the body
       is the whole of man, body, soul and spirit. It is  ma%                 of sin, and from the infirmities of that flesh, so long
       as he lives and moves and has his being. Not simply                    as they continue is this-  wo&d."
      the flesh is man, not simply the body, but the whole                       Article 2  co&inues : "Hence springs daily sins of
       man, body -and soul  ai he stands before God  and in                   infirmity, and hence spots-adhere to the best works of
       the midst of his fellowmen and under the  Ew of God,                   the saints; which furnish them for constant matter
       to thus obey and love  his Maker. As man he is quite                   for humiliation before  Gbd, and flying for refuge to
       different `than the animals  Bnd also than the angels.                 Christ crucified ; for mortifying the flesh more and
       He is man, created by God in true knowledge, right-                    more by the spirit of prayer, and by  holy  exercizing
       eousness and holiness. The whole man, his personality                  of piety  ; and for pressing forward to the goal of per-
       and all that he is ! That is  what we understand by                    fection, till being at length delivered from this body
       L'man".               It is not something accidental to man that       of death, they are  br,ought  to reign with the Lamb of
       the apostle is speaking of when he speaks of  ~"man",                  G&l in heaven".
      -' but he is speaking man  himseZf!                 Man has a will,       And finally we' read in  ATt. 3 : "By means. of these
       mind and affections. He is the subject of His deeds.                   remains of indwelling sin,  and the temptations of sin
        He is responsible, that is, he must give a moral and                  and of the world, those  &ho  are'converted could not
       ethical response  to  IGod. Man is not simply the com-                 persevere in a state of grace, if left.  -to their  owp
       plex of his deeds, but man is the doer of these deeds                  strength. But  IGod is faithful, who having conferred
       and of all his actions.                                                grace,. mercifully confirms, and powerful1 preserves
           This old man `died  tiith, was crucified with Christ               them therein, even  tb the end."
       by. faith! He died.               Aid since he has died as  old           Y,es, sin is still with us. We live in  la "body of sin".
       man, he is not longer `in this captivity. He  very really              The motions of sin are still with us.          This body is
       died, he was crucified with Christ by faith.  (And all                 really not changed through  regelieration. It is the
       that is  "olci)' is passed away.  -The `old is  lie more!              body'of sin, that is, it is the body in which, if left to
       Legally,. he is gone.. No more is the believer "under                  ourselves, we  can: only sin. The' eye is evil;  the ear
       law", but he is "under grace"! And therefore  the                      is evil, and so is the hand and the feet. No;  ~thus it
        "old man" is no more. The oldness. of guilt is gone,                  was  no-i; from the beginning. `Then it was "very good".
     ' the delight in sin is broken, and instead of this  d$ight              But from the very moment  of'the  fall of `our first
       in sin it is a delight in the law of  ,God. For the old                parents our nature has become so corrupt  @at we are
j    0 man `is crucified  with Christ.                                        wholly incapable of doing  any good and inclined to all
           Yea, let it  not be  ove?looked,  thst Paul  says  f`our"          evil. And it is the body under the wrath of God  .which  '
       old man is crucified with  ,Christ, that is, the old man               is the body of sin  ; it is, indeed, the "body of this
       of as many as we have been baptized into Christ.                       death.". Rom. 7.
       For baptism into Christ is baptism into His death !                     Yet,. this body  .of sin  may not reign. We must
        We  have died with Christ, we have risen' with Him!                   reign  bi faith in  .Christ  Jesus, our Lord. And in reign-
       Shall we who have died,-who  hge been crucified with                   ing by faith,  ,t$rough  tl+e operation of the Holy Spirit,
        Chrst,.  wh9 become a new man in  ,Christ, shall we                   in obedience  40 the Gospel;  the. body of sin is made
       return to the old?. The dead do  not return to their                   none effective. ISin does not come to its end ; it does
       form& existence, do they? Shall we return to sin,                      not come as the wages  ifi the form of  .death. That  iS
       .&turn unto the very thing unto which we have been                     goanti in Christ.
       crucified?  (God forbid !                                                 W,e are not under  law, but we are under grace !
           We have become free-men.  we shall no  linger be                      We are free, justified from sin. We are in the gr)eat
       in bondage to sin. Sin  s&all not. reign any longer..                  gift of  God, which is  et(ernal  lifie.  through. Jesus Christ
               Is sin then still with-us?  -Indeed, it is. But we             `our Lord.' And what a gift!  It is powerful, efficacious,
       have died unto it by faith in Jesus our-Lord.                          quickening,  a&d it fortifies us unto the battle. To live
               Nevertheless, sin is still in our members !                    unto God is  then our delight under grace. To fight  -
               Let&us try to understand this just a bit better.               against sin and  -unbelief  is  our great object in iife ;
       Probably we can best show that sin is still in our                     it is the race that  we run. And in this race  we  cannot
                                                                                                   __
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                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B%ARER                                                    431

 look back; We remember the wife of Lot! He that                     A steering committee, called the Committee of
 puts his hand to the plow must not look to  thgt which          Committees -is appointed in. order that the business
  is behind.  Foryard we must go.                                of Synod may be distributed  -among  the various mem-
          Y&s, daily we have the niatter for humiliation.        bers of Synod divided into committees of..pre-advise.
 But confessing our sins, the sins. that we do not want          ,Synod then adjourns until Thursday morning  .to give
 to commit that sin may abound, but `that we  do-out of          the committees time  to- prepare their material for
 weakness, we take courage anew  illl the foregiveness           Synod's deliberation.
  of  sins;and we say: I am justified from. sin!                     Thursday morning Synod began her  deli,beyation
            r                              G. Lubbers.           on  t&e material presented. Because  ,Committe&  I, II,
                 .                                               arid III had not finished their work we began with
                        -L?c-oA                                  the material of `Committee IV. Their material  con-
                                                                 eerned'first of  ..a11 a letter of information and explana-
                                                                 tion together with a  -protest  and appeal to Synod,
     :                PE.RISCOPE                                 against the actions of  Chassis West.            l&&id  decides
                                                                 that this matter is illegally before Synod because it  is.
                                                                 not as yet finished in the consistory and  claSsis.
 T h e   S y n o d   o f   `1951.  _                                 To this committee was also given the Report of the
     Synod of 1951 met in  their pre-synodical prayer            Committee for Church Order revision. This report
 service Tuesday evening. Rev. H. Hoeksema had been              concerns the contact which had  be& established with
 requested by the  pr,esident  .of the  `Synod of 1950 to        similar committees appointed for the same purpose in
 preach this pre-synodical sermon. `He chose as text             the,Netherlands  atid was in the nature of a preliminary
 for the occasion the  wosd.of Paul to Timothy,  11' Tim.        report revealing the committee's investigations. It
 2:19: "Nevertheless the foundation of  `God standeth            was decided to continue this committee to continue the
 sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that              work assigned  to  them'
 are.his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of                 The matter of participation in -a Reformed Mission-
 ,Christ  depart-  fro&  iniquity." Besides the Synodical        ary Council was. referred to the committee  for- Cor-
.delegates  and the consistory present there was a very          respondence with'the request for a report and recom-
 good audience present from the host church, Fourth              mendation-to a later session  of- Synod.
 of-Grand Rapids; as well as from other of our churches.             There was  `no particular. action required with re-
     In this  conn;ection it may  be pointed out that this       spect to the report of the Mission Committee.  ,Synod
 Synodical gathering is marked especially by the inter-          was informed by this  committee that unless Synod
 est from far and near that. is evident in everything.           decided otherwise thk Mission, Committee would con-
 Not only from the churches in Michigan but from Iowa            tinue to work with only one missionary. By  not going
as well more than a few visitors are present and  fol-           into this matter further Synod virtually. agreed with
 jowing the Synodical proceedings eagerly.                       this advise of the  Missidn Cbmmittee. This means
     Wednesday morning, June 6, the  Synqdical sessions          that at least for the present time' the position vacated
 were officially opened by the president of the Synod            by Rev. Hofman when he took the call to  ,Orange  City
 of 1950, Rev. R..  Veldman:  iHe led the delegates in the       will not be filled.
 reading of  5 Oorinthians -13 and in prayer  after the             The Committee  tippointed by  otir Synod of 1950 to
 Synod had sung No. 69  02 the Psalter. The credentials          investigate the possibility of a denominational radio-.
 were' read and accepted `and these showed the follow-           broadcast. reported' that they were  uliable to finish
 ing' brethren to be present. From  Classis  East : Minis-       their work and requested more' time. This request,
 ters : H.  Hoeksema,  PG.  M-. Ophoff, R. Veldman, G. Vos ;     was granted.                    .
 Elders :  -J.-M.  .Faber,  v. Kunz, D. Langeland, N.  Yon-         Synod next turned-her attention to the Report of
_ ker. From  Classis West: Ministers:. M. Gritters, L.           Committee  II  and first of all set the time and place of
 Vermeer, J. Howerzyl, L. Doezema; Elders: W. De                 the 1952 Synod. Synod will meet the first Wednesday
 Vries, J. Broek, M. Flikkema, and N.  Buyert.  in. the          in June at  S-outh Holland, Illinois.       .
 place of G. Ryken one of the  primi elders. On Sunday,             Regarding  an overture from  ,Grand Haven request-
 June 10, Elder N. Kunz was stricken with appendicitis           ing a greater number of representatives at Synod it
 and was taken to the hospital for an qperation. Elder           was decided to keep the same representation as at
 R. Newhouse. then took his place at Synod. '                    present. The report of the Yearbook Committee was
    [Synod elects the following officers : President :  .Rev.    approved. Various  tiiscellaneous reports were treated
 G. Vos  ; Vice-president : Rev. R.  Veldman  ; First Clerk:' and  approved.including the report of the Stated Clerk,
 Rev. J. Howerzyl; Second Clerk, Rev. M.' Gritters.              the E. B. P. Committee, the Emeritus Committee, the
 After the president had spoken a  tiord of welcome  to- Theological  Schobl Committee Report, the-Rector's Re-
the delegates,  ,Synod prepares for her business,                port. In connection with this the Committee reports


432                                   T  H E S T A N D A R'D           B E  A R E  R--  .-.  -

that they have accepted John  `Hqfman as -a student in          mittee  of pre-advise  -which treated this matter is di-
our school for next year.- That Carl  R&tsma who has            Bided  in their  report.~ The one segment of the com-
spent. some time studying in Europe will take up his            mittee advises that tlie declaration be declared con-
stitdies in our  s&o1 this fall and that four young men         trary to our Protestalit  Reformed  way and regulations
at present studying  in'calvi-n College  shave been  .pre-      and  .td Reformed principles of -ecclesiastical actions
enrolled in our school to protect `them in the present. and that the Synod heed the advise of  Classis  West.
draft.      In this connection the salary of Professor          Bl'iefly this  is. based on the fact  .that the Declaration
Ophoff was raised to  $3,960.  plus the payment of his          concerns confessional material, that no definite ease
rent and that of Professor Hoeksema was raised $800.            was present and that it  was initiated by Synod and
so that his salary from Sehool and Church may total             thus laid upon the  .churches froni the top down. Atten-
                              -
$4500.00.                                                       tion was alsq called to the Declaration of Agreement
       `The biggest item for this  -committee  to consider      with  the forms of unity to which all gave assent at the
was the  "H,olland case". This is the question of the           opening of the  i951 Synod. Therefore this segnient
giving out of children for adoption. The  corisistory of        of the  committee advises  Synod to express `the idea of
Holland had taken the stand that this might be pos-             Classis  West's overture  and  express that :
sible in certain  c&es, that it did not belong to that             1. As. synod we do not  ,r&ject this Declaration of
class of activities which  a& per se always wrong.              Principles as such ; but rather reject the action which
Several members protested against this-stand in a  cop-         gave rise to it; and express that we agree with the
erete case and were sustained in their protest by               essential thrust of it, which does not  -rneanc> that we
Classis  East.  The, Pre-advisory committee came with           bind ourselves to its formulation. 2. That  we"express
the advise that  Synod  declare the principle npt proven,       our willingness, to formulate  any Scriptural teaching .
and therefore-for reversal of the stand of  Classis   East.     as binding in our churches when presented with- error
Synod instead decided to., appbint a study committee            in our churches.
who shall take this entire matter into study and re-               ,On the other hand the other section  of this  com-
port at the  next Synod. The Committee appointed                niittee advises Synod  to adopt the Declaration on the
consisted of the Professors  Hoeksema and  lOphoff   -and       basis of the, six  g;rounds included in  Fuller  Avenue's-
Rev. J.  Howerzyl.                                              advise, including all  +he amendments and the  p?e-
       In connection with  the report of the rector the         amble suggested by  Classis  East's overture.                         They
financial difficulties of the students (Revs.)  McCollum,       then go on to -point out- that the matter  iS  not confes-
Emmanuel and.  Hal*baeh,  were  _ brought to Synod's            sional in its nature, `that the Mission  Cqmmittee was
attention. It was pointed out that as  tiarried students        its proper originator and that it is legally before Synod
Synod  .cannot according to her own rules grant aid             and ought to  be adopted.
from the needy student's fund, but Synod did decide
to recommend to  our people the private efforts  put                What the outcome will be we do not  know at this
forth  <by a group  of people to raise money to support         writing.
these former Reformed Episcopalian ministers who                  Mijr  ,Goh  b l e s s   o u r   S y n o d ! -            '               .
are now students at -our school.                                                                                           J. Howerzyl.
       Synod next took up the Kuiper case.  `One of the                                      ----z-.-z-
protestants  was upheld in his protest against the pro-
cedure of  Classis East in his case but in general as
afar as their protests  against the Synod of 1950 in mak-  -                       WEDDING  ANNjVERSA.RY
ing Kuiper . candidate  are concerned; Synod decided
that the protestants had  not proven  the& case.                  On June 24, 1951, our beloved parents
   Iri the. Monday morning  sessioiz Synod began  her.                           Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Haveman                 -~
treatment of the material of the Declaration of Prin-           Fope to celebrate their 25th  wedding  an$versary.
ciples. Most of-the Monday  sessipn  was t&en  tip with           May our dear- Lord spare them for one another and for us
questions- of legality. Several protests which has  nc;t  _ for many years, is our prayer, in subservience to His holy will.
been treated by  Classis,  or by the individual  consist-                                   Their grateful children:  '
ories  .or had not come through the consistories  were              `. . .                           Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Haveman
ruled illegally present and were not read. Synod then                                                 Mr. and-Mrs;  Carl Deur
                                                                                                      Donna  Haveman
began her reading of the  volumin&is reports regarding .                                                one  grandchibd.
the Declaration: With this the Monday  hession came             Open How&-Saturday, June 23rd  `-
to a close  $nd so also must this report close for the          aftkrnoon and evening
time being. --                                                  45 E. 22nd Street
       It may be reported  f&her however that the  -corn-       Holland,  Michigan.

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