        VOLUME   XXVIII                            J ANUARY   15, 1952  - GRAND   I~APIDS,   MICHIGAN                               N U M B E R  8
                       c

                                                                           der wereld, als het Licht dat van Gods aan'zicht straalt,
             M  E  D  `I  T  A  T.  I                                      hetwelk de blijdschap  van.dGods  volk ten  toppunt zal
                                                                           doen stijgen.
 . .         J .,, Het  .rct
                                 L* h  Der  Wmld
                "Jezus  `dan  sprak  wederom  !ot hen,  `zeggende:   ik        De woorden van mijn tekst werden door Jezus
              ben het licht der wereld: die mij volgt  zal in de           gesproken gedurende de  viering van het  Loofhutten
              dutstexmis  niet wandelen,  ,maar zal  ,h&t licht des        feest. En er schijnt ook  een  verband te zijn geweest
              levens hebben."                                              tusschen Jezus' gebruik van deze beeldspraak in mijn                               .
                                                       -Job.  8:12.        tekst en een gewoonte die gevolgd werd door de  Joden
                  .                                                        op  ,dit Loofhutten- feest. Men zegt, dat het de  ge-
        Hebt ge er  we1 eens op gelet met wat groote  pre-                 wobnte was om  twee groote  lampen te ontsteken bij
tenties de Heere Jezus sprak  alle de dagen Zijns  le-                     het  vallen pan den avond,  aan beide  .zijden van het                                  ,
vens? Hij noemt  Zich het Brood, dat uit den  hemel                        brandoffer altaar,  lampen die niet alleen den  ,Tempel
neerdaalde ; het Water des levens ; en heir noemt Hij                      en zijnen omtrek verlichtten,  doch welks licht  zelfs-ge-
Zich het Licht der wereld, en voegt er  aan toe, dat die                   zien werd door de menigte van  feestvierders die  Jeru- .
Hem volgt in de duisternis niet zal wandelen, maar                         zalem  na'derden,   enin de verte die sehoone  lichten zien-                       .
dat hij het  Lieht des levens zal hebben. Nooit is er. de, uitbraken in blijden zang en jubel.  ' En  bij die
iemand geweest in de geschiedenis der wereld die-met                       gelegenheid- moet het dan geweest zijn, dat de Heere
zulke pretenties  tot  bet mensehdom kwam.  _ Het is                       Jezus in de nabijheid van die  h&ten, mijne  tekst-
daarom zoo dwaas om van `Jezus te spreken en te                            woorden uitsprak. Beginnende bij de typische en  sym-
leeren, dat Hij maar een gewoon mensch was: Als                            bolische'  sprake'van -die twee  ,groote  lichten,  -zeide Hij
nen dat doet, moet men als vanzelf nog een stap  ver-                      dan, op. Zichzelven wijzende: Ik ben het Licht der
ler gaan, en  leeren,  ,dat Jezus de menschen bedroog,                     wereld !     Met andere woorden :               Ik ben de  vervul-
Rant geen gewoon mensch mag zulke titels ziehzelven                        ling van al die  typen' en  symbolen en schaduwen ! Al
Teven zooals Jezus. deed. Er is daarom slechts  Q6ne                       die zaken en  dingen  waren niet dan een schaduw en
verklaring die past en die verklaring is, dat Jezus God                    belofte van wat nu in Mij vervuld is.
is, te prijzen tot in der eeuwigheid. Hij  ,zeide: Ik ben                    En dat is niet slechts zoo in  verband met die  bran-
let  ILieht der wereld. En dat is  eeuwi'g waar, want                      dende en schijnende  lampen,  doch met den geheelen
Hij is niet minder dan Jehovah, de Ik  zal zijn die  11;                   typischen` dienst die ingesteld was door God in Israel.
zijn zal, tot ons gekomen in menschelijke  gestaltenis;                    Alle lijnen in het theocratische Israel  loopen  immers
Hij is waarlijk en waarachtig mensch, maar Hij is                          uit op Jezus' Christus  in wien zij hun  vervulling'  ant;
)ok waarlijk en waarachtig God. Als we dat  ,door  ge-                     vingen?  .Dat is zoo met land,  stad, tempel, offers,
nade mogen  zien en gelooven, dan past  alles, en dan                      priester,  profeet en koning :  alle  die-  dingen en zaken
zijn het geen pretenties waarmede de-Heere Jezus tot                       vonden Bun vervulling in den Zoon van God, den  Hei-
Ins kwan,  doch dan brengt Hij ons de heerlijke  waar-                     land  van-het ware Israel der eeuwen.
:reid, dat Hij is de Immanuel,  [God met ons !                   Dan           E n   z o o   i s   h e t   o o k   n o g   vandaag:   O o k   heden  b e -
singen we tot in  alle eeuwigheid  `van de zoo  troostvolle                groeten we dien Jezus  Christus als de vervulling van.
waarhkid, dat Jezus de duisternis verbrak die  ens  om-  I_  a,lle beloften,  schaduwen en typen die  aan de kerk van .
lulde, en dat Hij voor `ons kwam te staan als het Licht                    h e t   LOude  Verbond  g e g e v e n   waren.  E n   willen  w e


.    .170                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARER

      luisteren naar het Evangelie zooals  ,Jezus het predikt          den  Zijn spreuk van `Goddelijke wijsheid en  verstand.
      in onzen tekat : Hij is het Licht der wereld.                    En  om niet meer te  ~noemen  :. Hij maakte van de
                               *  *  4  *                              krankzinnigen  gedweee volgelingen, en van den  haat
             Ik ben ervan overtuigd, dat  er ook iets zit in het       blazenden  Saulus  maakte Hi j een beminnenden  Paulus.
      feit, dat Jezus deze woorden sprak op het Loofhutten                 0` zeker, het is overduidelijk geworden, dat Jezus
      feest. Dat was het  `feed waarin het volk Gods twee              de openbaring is van het Licht Gods, dat is, van het
      dingen herdacht, en die twee  dingen staan ook in onder-         voile deugdenbeeld des Almachtigen.          Jezus is het
      ling  verband. Eerst was het het feest des oogstes, en           Licht der wereld.
      dan  hook het feest van  .de herdenking  :van wat de Heere                              *  a  *  *
      gedaan had voor  Zijn. volk in de  veertigjarige.  om-               En  als de tekst zegt, dat Hij het Licht  cler  wer&
      zwerving in de huilende wildernis. Het  verband lag              was,  dan houdt. dat zeker in, dat  Hij de van God  ge-
      zeker  in~het feit, dat de Heere hen verzorgde, zoodat.          geven Gids is voor Gods wereld nanr het harte  IGods
     &al hun nooddruft gedurig vervuld  we&, alhoewel men              waarvan zij vervreemd was. De wereld, dat wil  zeg-
      gedurende die veertig  jaren niet zaaien  n&h oogsten            gen, de wereld van Gods eeuwige geneugten, was  ge-
      kon.                                                             vallen in de duisternis des doods, en als het  lichtbeeld
             En op dat feest zegt Jezus  :. Ik ben het  Licht der      is van deugd, dan is de duisternis beeld van  alle  on-
      wereld. Nu  meet men voor de aandacht houden; dat                deugd. En die ondeugden zijn ook opgesomd in het
      het beeld van mijn tekst, dat spreekt van Licht, het             Woord van `God. En Jezus is het Licht dat schijnt in
      .leven Gods beduidt.      rLicht is leven, de trilling van       de duistere wereld van Gods eeuwige liefde en het  doe1
      leven, het leven Gods. Want  `God is de fontein van              van dat schijnen is, dat die van  ,God beminde wereld
      leven, van  alle leven. Zoo had ook God het gepredikt            verlost worde van hare duisternis en tot in  alle  eeu-
      in die lange zwerftocht van veertig  jaren. Want de              wigheid weer wandele in het  licht  des levens.
      Heere was steeds nabij geweest in die vuurkolom  ,die                En dat is  ,gerealiseerd in  Jezus Christus. Beide
      des daags gezien werd, en  .die  `dan en des  nachts             voorwerpelijk en onderwerpelijk is Jezus het Licht der
      gloeide van goddelijk  `licht.  ,Die wolkkolom was de            wereld.    Voorwerpelijk is Hij dat Licht, want Hij
      heerlijkheid  #Gods,  en  he*erlijkheid.  is uitstraling van     neemt al de duisternis des doods op  Zich en draagt
      deugden, het deugdenbeeld Gods. Zoo  zullen we  be-              die weg om nooit meer terug te komen. En onder-
      merken, dat  licht, dat is, leven, het inbegrip -is van  alle    werpelijk is Hij het Licht want door Zijn Geest schijnt
      deugd. Als Jezus zegt: Ik  hen het Licht, dan beduidt            Hij  inde  -harten van  allen die tot Gods uitverkoren
      dit, dat in Hem alle ware deugd gevonden wordt,  zoo-            wereld  jbehooren.  _ Door dat  licht  roept Hij hen uit de
      als- Hij het aangezicht, de openbaring van den  Drie-            duisternis des doods, en zet ze over in het Koninkrijk
      Eenigen  ,God is. En die deugden  worden  "ens  -duide-          van  `Gods eeuwig  licht. Ge kunt het ook zoo zeggen:
      lijk geleerd in  ~Gods  ,dierbaar Woord. Gods deugden            door Zijn leven en sterven en verrijzenis verlost Hij
      zijn Zijn goedheid en trouw, almacht en majesteit,               de gekenden  (Gods van  schuld en  doem; en door Zijn
      recht en gerechtigheid, lankmoedigheid en liefde; Zijn           Heiligen Geest en Woord roept Hij het zelfde volk van
     `eeuwigheid en onuitsprekelijke schoonheid : Zijn  wijs-          nit de klauwen des duivels en vanuit den dood tot het
      heid en vermogen, kortom,' alles wat de Heilige  Schrift         leven der  verbondsgem.eenschap met den levenden God.
      ons vertelt van de wonderen, majesteit en groote  deug-          Zoo is Jezus het  ILicht der wereld.
      den Gods. Johannes vat het  alles te zamen  .en  zegt,              Dat Licht moet gevolgd  worden. En dat volgen van
      dat  `God een  Lieht is, en dat  er gansch geene  duister-       dat Licht is, niet anders dan het zaligmakend geloof.
      nis in Hem is.                                                   Luistert naar Jezus'. eigen commentaar : "Terwijl gij
             Al die deugden nu zijn geopenbaard in Jezus  Chris-       het  licht hebt gelooft in het  lieht, opdat gij  kinderen
      tus. En  er is geen deugd in het Goddelijk  Wezen. die           des  lichts zijn moogt. Ik ben een  licht in de wereld
      Hij niet geopenbaard  heeft. Indien iemand den tiid              gekomen, opdat een iegenlijk die in Mij gelooft in de
      er voor nemen  Wilde, kon hij  zulks  heel gemakkelijk           duisternis niet blijve." Joh. 12  :36 en 46. Ge ziet, dat'
      bewijzen door alle teksten op te zoeken in de Heilige            we deze woorden aanhalen  uit het  verband van  onzen
      Sehrift waar het werk van Jezus, mitsgaders Ziine                tekst. Het volgen van Jezns is het levende geloof in
      leeringen in  verband gezet  worden met de  deugden              Hem. En als ge zoudt vragen: maar wat wil dat  zeg-
      Gods. Zoo lezen we, dat-Hij het land  doorging  goed             gen : gelooven in Jezus, dan is het  antwoord. dit : dan
      doende... En is Hij  ,de Goede Herder. Zoo lezen we,             kent ge Hem,, en dan lieft ge Hem. `Geloof .is  weten,
      dat Hij alle krankheden met slechts een woord aenas.             kennen, wijsheid en verstand aangaande het Licht, en
     We hebbea ons grootelijks verwonderd, dat zelfs on                dat is de  DrieEenige God in het aangezicht van Jezus
     '  Zijn woord de dood moest wijken, en Zelf stond  Hii . Christus.            Het beteekent dat ge de deugd,  d"e ware
      op ten  ,derden dage uit de dooden. Bovendien  tintel-           deugd Gods leert kennen, en dan bedoelen we  Tnennen


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                             I!71

niet zoozeer in intellectueelen alswel in geestelijken         zal zijn, dat ge in de duisternis  r&t  zult wandelen,
<in. Dat. kennen staat in onlosmakelijk  verband met           maar gij zult het  licht des levens hebben ! Die in de
le.liefde Gods die in onze  harten is uitgestort door  d&n     duisternis is, is  ken dwaas. Men kan  niet wandelen
Heiligen  Ge&t  die ons is gegeven. Rom. 5. En in  de-         in de  duisternis. In de donkerheid struikelt men. Dit
celfde mate dat ge dat Licht kent, vertrouwt ge dat            doet ons  denken  aan den Spreukendichter. Die zeide
Licht, bouwt ge op dat Licht en laat U zakken en  zin-         eens : "Het pad des reehtvaardigen is gelijk een  schij-
ken op dat Licht, op dien Heiland onzer volkomene              nehd  licht, voortgaande en  lichten.de  tot den vollen
veirlo$sing. En dat geloof in en vertrouwen op dat             dag toe. De weg der goddeloozen is als donkerheid,  ie
Licht openbaart  zich in gehoorzaamheid.  ,Geloof en           weten niet waarover ze struikelen  zullen." En dat is
mgehoorzaamheid  worden in de  Schrift tegenover  el-          de wandel van een ieder natuurlijk mensch  ; ook van                                    _
kaar geplaatst. Ziet het in Joh. 3  :36. Die in den            hen die uiteindelijk zalig  worden.
Zoon' gelooft, die heeft het eeuwige leven  ;  maar wie             En daarom, zullen-we deze woorden van Jezus  op-
lien Zoon ongehoorzaam is, die zal het leven niet zien,        volgen, en,  aan de eene zijde, niet in de  duisternis
maar de toorn  IGods blijft  op-hem.   lGelooven in Jezus      wandelen ; en,  aan  de. andere zijde, zullen we Jezus
beduidt- gehoorzamen van Zijn stem.                            volgen, en daarom in het Licht  .der  wereld wandelen,
   En het  motief is `theologisch.  Men gehoorzaamt            dan moet  er een wonder met ons  ges_chieden. En die
3mdat men met  groat verlangen hunkert naar de  ge-            wonderen geschieden  er alle dagen. Jezus trekt nog
meenschap met God in het  licht des levens.        En dit      Zijn volk, dat Hij. als een erfenis  van God ontving.
slles te zamen is  vruchi; van het  trekken des Heiligen       Nog gebeurt het, dat Hij Zijn  intrek neemt in harde
Geestes en het  .dierbare Woord .van God die te zamen          harten,  dezelve   v e r b r i j z e l e n d e   d o o r   Z i j n   W o o r d   e n
ms  trekken naar  ,God  heen, door Jezus  Christus  de         Geest. En dan,  j&  da?-gaat  het anders en dan  wordt.
Heere.  '                                                      het anders. Ik zeide  zooeven, dat elk natuurlijk mensch
   Gij  allen  we+, dat Hij  i%lks beloofde  toen  Hij nog     in de duisternis  wandelt. Wel, de duisternis is de  sfeer
3p aarde wandelde. Ik  din, als  ik. verhoogd  zal, zijn,      van zonde,  vyilheid, krommigheid en  alle leelijke  on-
zal ze  allen tot Mij  trekken. Allen hier `is natuurlijk      deugd. De wandel van  `een, mensch is zijn leven zooals
niet  alle, menschen hoofd voor hoofd,  doch  allen die        dat leven in het  ,diepe hart begint. En dat geheele
Hem van den Vader gegeven. zijn, of  .kortweg, de  pit-        leven is duisternis. Dit is zoo  geheel en al, dat  Paulus
verkorenen. Hij, Jezus Christus,  bet  ILicht  -der wereld,    zegt, dat wij eertijds duisternis  waren.                       Het is de
is de grootere en betere Jozua die  @et volk Gods leidt,       sfeer van onkunde, onreinheid en smart, want bij die
totdat ze  allen aankbmen daarboven bij God.                   duisternis past de toorn Gods, en `die brengt smart,
                        *  zzr  *  *                           nu al  in. beginsel en straks  in de  buitenste duisternis
   Nu  zit daar  nag-een  schoone  gedachte in opgesloten      zal die smart vereeuwigd  worden, en zal men weenen
clie we niet over het hoofd mogen zien. Ik heb het oog         en zijn  tanden knersen.  pat is de eenvoudige  waar-
hierop, dat  Jezus ons leidt in die optocht vanuit de          heid.
diepten des doods en der duisternis tot de hoogten van                                        a  Q  *  72
de  verbondsgemeenschip in  bet eeuwig  lie&t van Gods              Maar hoe  geheel anders wordt dat als we door  `Gods
leifde. Jezus leidt ons en ging  voorop en dat beteekende      genade in  bet  licht mogen wandelen! En  iwe  hebben
iets heel vreeselijks. Want Hij moest komen waar Hij           gezien, dat dit beteekent om Jezus te volgen. Als we
ms vond, en dat is in de diepten des eeuwigen doods.           dat  doen,  .dan is van ons van toepassing wat  Paulus
De ware  Kerk van  `God, dat is, de uitverkorenen,  waren' zegt : Maar  nti zijt gij  licht in den  Heere. Ziet  g&,
niet  .beter.dan de anderen. Ze zijn  allen  kindereh des      dan  komt Jezus en woont in  Uw hart.  En.`dan  wordt
toorns. Ze zijn  allen bedolven van nature in de zonde,        het geheel anders. We hebben bij het begin van dnze
schuld,  straf,  dood, verdoemenis en vloek.     Dat zijn      overdenking gezien, dat  bet.  licht van mijn tekst  ziet-'
cle vreeselijke feiten. En nu kwam Jezus, het Licht            op het deugdenbeeld van God, zooals dit  lbeeld door
3er wereld,  en-nam al die zonde  al?  schuld, en al dien      Jezus  Christus   geopenbiari werd. Welnu, als Jezus
?euwigen  dood en verdoemenis en vloek op  Zich. Hij           in ons diepe hart gaat  wonen door  wedergeboorte en
King  vooruiyt, zeide ik. E-n dat  zai  waar zijn. Het         bekeering en  geloof, dan openbaren wij datzelfde  licht
beteekende voor Jezus dat Hij den eeuwigen  dood               dat van Gods aanzicht straalt. En  daarom zeide  Je-
moest sterven,  d& Hij  moes't  brullen in den eeuwigen        zus: Gij zijt het  licht der wereld! En dat is nog
nacht  v a n   Godsverlating.                                  slechts eeri  k&n beginsel.' De duisternis  speelt ons
   0, de Kerk van Jezus is duur geknocht !                     nog vaak  parten.            Hoe  heerlijk zal het zijn als we
   En die Jezus nu, staat  iti den hof van Jozef als de        straks mogen wandelen in de  zalen, des  hem+ in `t
groote   Christus   Triu~lfator, and Hij roept Zijn  jonge-    volmaakte:  Licht Gods  !-'
.zen en al  `Gods volk toe : Volgt Mi j ! en het  -gevolg                                                                  G,  vos.


17F                                                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R -                                                         -
  -
                          THE' STANDARD BEARER                                                                                                    E&ITORIAL
         Semi-monthly, except monthly in July and August
     Published by the Reformed Free  Sublishing  Association
                Box 124, Station C., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan                                                                                             The  Synod  of  1951
                       EDITOR - Rev. Herman Hoeksema                                                                                 After the overture of Pella was  read;the  discussion
     Communications relative  $0 contents should be addressed.                                                                   continued as follows :
     to Rev. II. Hoeksema, 1139  .Franklin  St., S. E., Grand
     Rapids 7, Michigan.                                                                                                            The Rev. H. H.: Mr. Chairman, in the first place, I want to
                                                                                                                                 state- that the suspicion that is cast by Pella and by the Rev,
    ,A11  matter  relative to subscription should be addressed
     to Mr. J.  Bouwman,  1350 Giddings Ave., S. E., Grand                                                                       Gritters, as if the  Declanation  was directed against the Rev.
    Rapids 7, Michigan. Announcements and .Obituaries  must                                                                      Petter-is certainly thoroughiy false. I cannot help it that the
    be mailed to the above address and will be published at a                                                                    Rev. Petter wrote as he did. But the Declaration of Principle,s
    fee of $1.00 for each notice.                                                                                                is not motivated by  ,anything  which he wrote, but simply by
    Renewals:- Unless a definite request for  discotitinuance                                                                    the desire to maintain our Protestant Reformed truth and to
    is received, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the                                                                    give the Mission `Committee  &hat  w&:-h   thef ask for, namely,
    subscription to continue without the formality of a re-                                                                      a basis for the organization -of prospective churches.
    newal order.                                                                                                                          `>                                                      There
                                                                                                                                 was nothing else; and there is not ond item of,proof to sustain
                        Subscription Price: $3.00 per year                                                                       the suspicion that the Declaration was written in  ocder to oppose
    Entered as Second Class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                                       the Rev Petter. In the second place, Mr. Chairman, I want to
                                                                                                                                 remind the Synod again that the question is simply whether
                                                                                                                                 this Declaration is the  expressibn  of the truth as contained  iti
                                                                                                                                 our  Ccmfessio.ns.       The `overture of Pella  contsins many quota-
                                                                                                                                 tions to prove that Reformed writers spoke of conditions in the
                                                                                                                                 past.          To me that means nothing. I can readily grant that
                                                                                                                                 contention of  Fella.. And over against that I can quote other
                                                                                                                                 passages from equally Reformed writers which` ,show  the con-
                                                                                                                                 trary. Dr. Bavinck  writ_es that faith itself is not a condition
                                                                                                                                 for the other benefits of  `salmztion,  such as, justification and
                                                                                                                                 Sanctification.  Again he writes that the covenant relation  .did
                                       -I-                                                                                       not depend on the keeping of the law.  as a preceding condition.
          /                                                                                                                      And' again,  that  ihe  cov&lnt  is not dependent on any condi-
                                                                                                                                 tion of man. And  oncg  m&e: "Properly speaking there are no
                                                                                                                                 cbnditions  in. the- covenant of grace " And Dr. Kuyper, in his
                                                                                                                                 Diotaten   DogmFtiek,  writes: "Conditional  is. the covenant of
                                                                                                                                 grace never. God gives ,everything,  everything for nothing." Or,
                                                                                                                                 to give you a very specific quotation from the dogmatics of Dr.
                                                                                                                                 Bavinck,  ,he writes  in  Gereformeerde-  Dogmatiek,  III, 241:  "In
                                                                                                                                 the first period theologians  spoke  freely of conditions of  th,e
                                                                                                                                 covenant, but when the nature of the covenant- of grace was
                                                                                                                                 thought into more (deeply and-had to be defended over agatnst
                                     c   &N.T   E  N                                                                             the  Romish,  the  Luthensns,  and the Remonstrants, many had
                                                                            T  s                                                 objections against this terminology and avoided it."' Once more
MBDITATION-                                                                                                                      I want to say that I do not attach over much importance to
        Jezus,  Het  Lickt  Der hereid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I..........                                   169`    quotations frpm Reformed theologians. -But these quotation;
               Rev. G. Vos                   .                                                                                   which I just referred to  cetisinly neutralize all that Pella has
EDITORIALS-                   '                                                                                                  to  ,say on this score. Besides, I am ashamed that Pella quotes
        ;The   Synod of 1951 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 172     Prof.  ,Berkhof, one of the chief fathers of the Three Points.
        Con-e&oh,   P l e a s e ?   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180                The question is not either  whether  the Reformed theologians
               Rev. H.  Hoeksema                                                           .                                     that were delegate; or present at the Synod of Dopdrecht  spoke
O U R   DI~ETRINB-                                                                                                               of `conditions. Also that we can grant. But while the term was
        The  Hexaemeron  or Creation-Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183                                          wellknown by the Father of the Canons, and in the opinions of
               Rev. H.  Veldman                                                                                                  some,  a$ for instance, those of North Holland, the term was
T H E   D A Y  O F   S H A D O W S -                                                                                             u;ed,  how do you  explhin  that  neverthelesss  we never find  Che
        The Protevangel  as the Unifying Idea of all the Scrip:ures  . . . . . 186                                               term in the  Conf&sians,  except as put in the mouths of the
                Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                Arminians.          I could  ela,sily make  a motion to  expres,s  as a
                                                                                                                                 Synod that our Confessions never  use  the term  coaditions,  ex-
IN HIS   FEAR-                                                                                                                   cept in the Arminian sense. Afid no one can possibly deny this.
        Lookinb.To   T h e   F u t u r e
                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    180
               R e v .   H .   C .   Hoeksema                                               j                                    Btit this is not the question..        The question certainly is not
                                                                                                                                 whether all the opinions, of Calvin and Berkhof and the dele-
F R O M  H O L Y   WFUT-                                                                                                         gates of the Synbd of  Dordrecht  and  .others; Heyns included,
        Exposition of Matthew 5:27-30  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
               Rev. G. C. Lubbers                                                                                                are Reformed.  W.e certainly must not  t&e  that position as
                                                                      .,                          _.     : . . . _               Synod. That all such opinions were Reformed in' a very general
                                                                                                                                 sense of-the word was indeed our position before 1924. Then


                                                                        L





                                          T H E   _STANDAR~B'  B E A R E R                                                                     173

we were  st.ill  inthe Christian Reformed Churches. They had                 is  unconditiorial`  ?, Are  >ve going to assume the position that
not cast us  lout, And then we were willing to admit' that all               faith is a condition ? The question is: condition unto what ? I s
such  opinicns   cou1.d  be tolerated in the Reformed  Chu&hes.              faith a condition unto the `promise ?      The, moment we accept
But  <hall we do the same thing  tcday? Shall we go back of                  that position, we certainly depart from all that is taught in. the
1924, and take that same general' Reformed position?  .I  per:               Confessio.ns  concerning the promise, as I  have,.clearly  shown.
sonally  will never go along with a movement  tha.t includes                 Faith is not. a condition unto" the promise. But' .faith is in-
all those "opinions and positions, and accepts them as being  Re-            cluded in the promise itself. Faith. is promised. A  horsse's
fcrmed,  that is, I wili `never go with a movement that would                hoof is not a condition for  $2 horse-  A!  section  of an orange
make our churches officially to Iassume  such a position. Then               is not a condition for the orange. My eye is not a condition
we can just as well subscribe. to the Three Points, and admit                for my body. No more is faith a condition of the promise.
that `they too are Reformed. Then certainly we  must admit                   Faith is included in. the promise     Faith' is promised. Faith  i7n
that the First Point of 1924 was correct.  -The  question, the               relation to the promise, therefore, can certainly not be called a
very serious question; before us as Synod is whether we  lare                ,condition.  To claim that God promises faith on  ,condition  of
wiling  to remain. distinct. For that  reatan  we base the De-               faith is  ablturd  and nonsense. In the Confessions faith never
claration. of Principles four-squarely `on the Confessions.  .Our            occurs  .as a condition unto the promise, but it is  #a God-given
officia;l  opinion here  as Synod must not be based upon the                 instrument whereby the promise is appropriated. As I `have
opimnns of men, not even on that of Calvin.            We  ,a11 know         emphasized before, the,  -Holy  Spirit is also included `in the
that it  is very, weli possible for me to quote Calvin in order              promise, and the gift of the  H,oly  Spirit- certainly  &an never
to prove that there is -common grace. That does not mean that                be conditional, `When God promises the Holy Spirit, He prom-
we as `churches can officially hold such `an opinion. We must                ises the  applioation  of all the benefits of salvation,  - re-
not go `back,, but defend our beautiful and strong position .at              generation, calling, faith, justification, sanctification, etc. And
the heed of all the Reformed churches. And therefore, we                     all this. is not our part of God's covenant, but `God's part; And
must,.stand  on the. basis- of our Confessions. Let us continue              tlieref,ore, faith is inclirded  in the promise, ,and can never be, a
to do this. 0,  eve.n. after the Synod of Dordt,  1618-19;  many             condition. unto the promise. I am afraid, as I have  ,said be-
theologiams  claimed that they based their views on the Con-                 fore, that some' of us have a very  l&&ed   conkeption  of the
fessions. But they had no right to that claim. The  same is                  primise of God, so that `it  on.ly  included eternal life in the
true today.  ,Even  the Chr. Reformed Churches claim that the                future., The promise of  .slalvation,  then, is the promise to go
Three Points of 1924 are based upon the Reformed  Confes;                    to heaven. And faith is  pres&ted  as. a condition to enter in-
:sions. We know nevertheless that this is not true. And there-               to heaven. I am afraid' that there is disagreement  on. this  '  3
fore, let us clearly state what our Confessions teach,  `and                 score among us.     We  do. not understand the  ,all-comprehen-   -^
stard upon their basis. Let us Ideclare  here as Synod that the              sive promise of God, as it is taught in our Reformed Confes-
Declaration of Principles is in harmony with the Confessions.                sions. I `am afraid sometimes that the troubie "is that we have
Then we will remain distinct. Let us go on, not retreat. Re-                 b.sen  separated too long  Aas churches.  ,How otherwise can you
ject this Declaration, and we sink back to a  gemera  Reformed               explain the patent fact that at this Synod  *Classes East and
basis. That danger is indeed imminent. Already it is evident                 WeFt are divided exactly ,along this line .We should have had
tl1e.t  we have been. influenced by Liberated theology, influenced           `conferences as ministers and elders.        And we should still
by the  writmgs  of Prof. Veenhof, Dr.  Schileder,  and Bremmer.             have conferences,  prefera,bly  with as many of our people pre-
Be we should not  be.. We  `should  be strong enough to take                 sent as can attend  ,such  conferenoes.    I said last week that  `a
our own definitely Reformed stand        Mind you, do not  mis-              certain exclusive emphasis on the promise as it occurs  -in
underst.and  me.    I  do not take the position `that  .these  men           Can.ons  II, 5 is evident on the floor of the Synod.  This is
are to be cast out.     But I do take the position. that we as               evidently what the Rev.' Gritters wants.        This is not `an in-
Frot. Ref. Churches do not -support their position.                          sinuation. But nevertheless, this exclusive lemphalsis  on `Canons
   We  ofte.n  speak of conditions in the Reformed sense. I                  II, 5 as a definition, of the promise is dangerous. It does
would  like to have someone give us .a clear-cut definition of               not do justice to the concept  prosmie  a.s it  is in  -our Confes-
such conditions.    Let someone present such a definition, and               sions.  I. If you do this, you probably get the notion that faith
then let us test it. No one has ,ever  made an attempt at this',             is a condition to enter into heaven. I do not mean to say .that
not even Dr. Schilder, whether in the conferences we had with                this is the teaching of Canons II, 5. Nevertheless,  the  <danger
him or in the  Beformatie.     To me, a condition. is  ,always a             is that when. `you place qexclusive  emphasis on the promise as
prerequ&ite  which someone must fulfill in order to receive                  -it occurs there; you will teach and preach thus. And there-
something  frcm someone else:Apply  ths.t definition of conditions           fore, Mr. Chairman, I want to warn Synod that- we do  not
t? the work of salvation, and you  i have pure' Arminianism.                 go  +he way of  .a general Reformed tendency and position, but
But,  Mr; Chairman, we must  mot  ~discuss.  here on the floor of            that we adhere to the Confessions, regardless of the opinions
Synod the abstract questions of conditions. That is not  neces-              of Reformed writers; that we do not retreat,  but go. onward,
:.:ry here, for we stand before a very definite question.  W.hat             and develop and strengthen. th,e.  Reformed po;sition.
p-int II of the Declaration of Principles teaches on the basis                  Rev. Howerzyl : I agree with much that has been said by
of the  &de&ion  is that the promise is unconditional. This                  the Rev.  Hoeksema  Nevertheless, I think that the Rev.  Grit-
we already accepted. principally when we adopted point I of                  ters is held up to ridicule. I would be  ,suspicious  too of men
the Declaration. And, Mr.  Ch.sirman,  I want to  ,&ate that cer-            who would point -only to Berkhof.          But  ,even  the  Standard   .-
tainly it has always been our Prot. Ref. position that the                   Bearer  put  ithe   :&amp of approval on what Berkhof said. For
prom+e   i s   uncorditi&al. IThat I personally always  main:                this I refer you to the overture of Oskaloosa. The point which
tsined that  posit.ion   `may be well-known to all of us, even               Pella wants to bring out is that the impression. is left that all
though some try to quote me erroneously in favor of the op-                  use of  the word condition  is condemned,  when- we adopt the
posite position. I always denied that the promise is %ondition,al            Declaration of  Princioles.  We must  ne,member  that  basicslly
and that fai$h is a condition. And this is-the  sole question be-            we are $ot dealing with a Declaration for `those .that are out-
fore. Synod at present. Are we going to deny that the promise                side of &r churches. The Declaration concerns us  too..~ I cer-


 174 .                                                        T H E ,   STA\NDA.RD   B E A R E R

  tainly am willing in a proper way to submit to  in examina-                    Declaration of Principles is a fourth form.  .But this amend-
  tion of  .my views, but not in this way. If this Declaration                   ment would surely mske it such. Let `us give Rev. Doesema
  is meant to be only for tho.se that are outside, let us make. this            .time,  while- we have  recess;to  find confessional proof for his
  very' clear. Mention has been made  of. a generally Reformed                   amendment.      The method to avoid the Confessions, and to get
 ,stand.' And it has been said that if we  ,assume  such a stand,                directly at Scripture over the Confessions was the method of
  we can just as well go back to the Christian Ref. Churches.                    the  Arminiaans,  and, always is.
  I  .have  been told before that I should go back to the Chr. Ref.                Mr.  N.. Yonker: With this suggestion, Mr. Chairman, I a-
  Churches. My orthodoxy  already'has been judged and ques-                      gree. Let us give the Rev. Doezema all the tinie he wants to
 tioned. I am afraid that this Declaration is going to be used                   find  co.qfessional  proof for his amendment.
  as a club over our head, and that by it we  <are becoming too                     Rev. H. H.: I move that we give the Rev. Doezema time
limited in our opportunity to express our opinions.                              till tomorrow morning to submit confessional grounds for the
    -.The  Rev. Ophoff: IOur fathers had reasons for compos-                     amendment he made.
  ing .the Canons,. .  dnd those reasons were the  iIve  points of                  Mr. J. Faber:  - I support this motion, Mr.  Chairman.
  the  Arminians.         At that time too many said, "We must not
  be bound." But if -this Declaration of Principles is in agree-                     The motion to give the Rev. Doezema time till 9
 ment with the Confessions, how can it possibly hind us more                     o'clock Tuesday morning carries.
  than our  Confessons  bind us  ?, .And why are we afraid to `a-                    Tuesday morning, 9 o'clock.
d o p t   i t ? How could the Declaration ever be used as a club                     After the proper devotional exercises have been
  over our head, above the Confessions ? Do we not agree with                    conducted, the discussion continues as  follows :
  our. Confessions ?         Do we not- love the Confessions,? If so,
 we also agree. with the Declaration.. If the law is in us, we                      Rev. `Doezema: To see this proposition of mine  clearIy,  we
  are blessed.       IBut if the law is *only outside of us, we are              must turn to several Scriptural passages, .such as. . ~. .
  cursed. The same  `is true. with the  Decl.aration  of Principles.                Rev. Ophoff:      This is out of order, Mr. Chairman. The
 If we hate .this truth, it curses us. But if it is in our hearts,               Rev. Doezema agreed to come with confessional proof, ,and not
 how can it possibly be a club over our heads to kill us ?                      with the Scriptures.
  Rev. Veldman: How can a Declaration be a club over `our                           Rev. Doezema:        I always operate this way. I think we
 head to kill us ? I can conceive of the fact that Confessions                   must always take the Scriptures and the Confessions together.
 c a n .   B u t   c a n   a   D e c l a r a t i o n ?   -         '                Rev. Vos:     An interpretation of the Confessions requires
    Rev. Vos: I want to remind Synod0  that we are debating the                  grounds from the Confessions, only. We need not go outside
 question whether we shall check point II with the Confessions,                  of  tho'se  Confessions to search  f,or grounds for  an amendment:
 not  whet.her  someone%  private opinion will become a club.                       Rev. Veldman: Let the Rev. Doezema speak. Can we not
 Let us be  ,definite.  Let us definitely refer to the Confessions              cull out the Scriptural pass.a.ges  pretty soon ?
  And tell  us what is not in. harmony with such and such an                        Rev. Doezema-: When we treated the oath of the promise,
 article in the Three Forms of Unity.                                   .,       appeal was also made immediately to. the Scriptures.
     Rev. ,Gritters  :       Pella   does)  not say that it wants  -condi-       Rev. Ophoff : `Mr.  Chairman,`the   Arminians  `always adopted
 tions. We definitely said that we do not mean to usher in                      that same -method.      They too would never appeal to the Confes-
 the term. But we are  aevertheless  afraid that those who do                   sions, and  woubd  not be bound by them, but would seek  re-
 use it in our circles will be di'sciplined  on the basis of the De-`. fuge in Scriptural passages.
 cl,aration.                                                                        Rev. Veldmah: Those words of the Rev. Ophoff may be
     R,ey.  Veldman: .I. would .like to know what is wrong with                 true. But to say that here to these brethren does not leave a
 this point II confessionally, and what we as Protestant Re-                    good impression.
 formed Churches never taught that is contained in the De-                       Rev.  Vos!:  I rule this Scriptural- reference out of order.
claration. What.  has to be added?` Some seem to think that it                      Rev.' Doezema; I will limit myself, then, to our  Co,nfes-
 does not say everything. And therefore I ask the question:                     sions. Let. us begin with the Heidelberg  C.atechism.  In Qu.
 what, according to them, should be added ?                                     2 we read: "How many things are necessary for thee to know,
   Rev. Ophoff:          The Confessions state literally that faith is          . that thou, enjoying this true comfort;-  mayest  live and die
 uot a condition unto salvation, but a means or instrument.                     happily  ?" And in the  .answer we read of the three require-
 Now we are discussing the question whether the Declaration is                  ments that are necessary to possess this only, comfort in life
 the expression of the *Confessions. If any do not agree with                   and death. I want to call `the attention of  Synold  that here
 this statement, they are under the moral obligation to show                    you  .have requirements, things that must be there before we
 that the Declaration is in contradiction to the Three Forms of                 have this comfort. In Question  3,.mention  is made of the law,
 Unity. If they cannot do this, they may never vote against                     which confronts us with its blessing  a&nd curse.        Again in
 this motion.                                                                   this question emphasis is laid on the requirement of man. Qu.
    Rev. Doezema: I &nt to make an amendment to th& mo-                         5 asks:  `Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?" And the
 tion, that we  ladd the following:. `"There are conditions in                  -answer is : "In no wise; for I am prone by nature to hate
 G.od?s Word, the confrontation  .of God's  dem.and   whi,ch  `God              God and my neighbor." In this negative answer you have the
 annexes to the  psomise, in  ordcer  to bring out clearly His  un-             confrontation of man with the law of God to  b,ring out the
conditional grace  ,and mercy, as well as His  j,ust wrath  .anfd               misery of man and his incapability to fulfill the conditions.
 man's inability  .to fulfill them."                    '                       In Lord's Day  V,  Qu.  12,,,we read: "Since then, by the right-
   `Rev. H. H.: We must not forget, Mr. Chairman, that  thi.s                   eous judgment of :Gold, we deserv;e  temporal and eternal punish-
 Declaration is based upon the Confessions.  I therefore must                   ment,  is there no way by which we may escape that punish-
 ask the Rev. Doezema to base his amendment on the Confes-                      ment, and be  agai*n  received into favor  ?" And the answer
 sions, and not to  appeal  directly to Scripture. We must have                 is: "God will have his justice satisfied! and therefore we must
 no additions to the Confessions,' which the motion certainly                   make this .full satisfaction, either by our.selves  or by another."
 is. The brethren' have been maintaining right along that this                  Here once more you have the confrontation of the  .demand.


                                               .THE  STAN.DARD-   B                    E    A    R    E    R      :                          175

Satisfaction must be made. That is the demand. And that                  is this blessing of God working in us,  ,and the more  diretitly  .
satisfaction must be made by us or by another.          In this way      is his work `advanced." `Canons V, 4 admonishes us, that con-
we. are taught to see the necessity of the incarnation. Qu. 84           verts must "be constant in watching and prayer, that they be
.of the same Heidelberg Catechism contains a conditional tem-            not led into temptation." And further, it warns us that `&when
poral  qae~tion:~    "How is the kingdom of heaven opened and            these  (are neglected, they are not only liable to be  ,drawn  into
shut by the preaching of the holy gospel  ?" And again you               gneat  and heinous sins, by Satan,. the woxld  and the flesh, but
have the confrontation -of the demand in the answer,  when               sometimes by the righteous permission of God actually fall
you read: "Thus: when  .according  to the command of Christ,             into these evils." And Canons V, 5 speaks of the interruption
it is declared and publicly testified to all and every believer,         of "the exercise of faith." And then they lose the sense of
that, whenever they receive the promise of the gospel by  `a             God's favor for a time, "until on their returning into the
true faith, all  .their  sins  :are really forgiven them of  Gad+ for    right way of serious repentance, the light of God's fatherly
the sake of  Christlsl  merits." This plainly, shows that we ex-         countenance again  ,shines  npon them." Here too God shows
perience the forgiveness of  ,sins  only when we believe. The            to the Christians the unbreakable chain of repentance, con-
experience of forgiveness is only for the believing  hea.rt.  Qu.        version, and enjoyment of grace. And in Canons V, 14 we see
86. speaks of the "must". of good works:  `Since then  w,e are            that God begins the work of grace in us, "by the preaching
delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ,              of the gospel,"  ,and "so he preserves, continues, and  ,perfects
without .any merit of ours, why must we still do good works ?:           it by the hearing and reading  #of his Word, by meditation
This question and its answer again mentions the confronta-               thene.on,   ,and by the exhortations,  threatenings,  and promises
tion of the law of God. According to  the' answer-we can have            -thereof, as well as by the use of the sacraments."
the assurance of faith only by-its fruit. Good works are  re-                Now turn with..me to the Baptism Form. The third part of
quired of us. The fulfillment of them is the condition to the            the doctrinal section  teils  us that we are  "obbged unto new
assurance of faith.  L                                                    obedience, namely, that we cleave to  this1  one God, Father,
   No,w  `let us turn, to the Belgic  Confes&n.  Art. 24 gives            Son, and Holy ,Ghost; that we trust in him, and love him with
us the proper view of this assurance' of faith. I will quote             ,a.11 our hearts, with ,a11   our souls, with all our mind, and with
only part of this article,~ beginning near the end with the word' la11 our strength; that we forsake the world,  C~UC@  our old
"moreover": "Moreover,  th'ough we do gootd works, we do `not             nature,  .and- walk in a new and holy life." Here  YOU  have
found our  ,salvation  upon  t&m; for we do no work but what             once more the confrontation of the law <and the admonition la.nd
is polluted by our -flesh, and also punishable;  ,and `although           demands. This is all in a conditional form, so that unless we
we could perform such works,  #still  the remembrance of one             do this, there is no enjoyment of salvation. "And if we some-
sin is sufficient to make God reject .them.  Thus then we would           times through weakness fall into sin, we `must not therefore
alw:ays  be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty,           despair. of  Godrs  mercy, nor continue in sin,  (since baptism  is
and our poor consciences continually vexed, if they relied  n#ot         a seal and undoubted testimony, that we have an eternal, cove-
on the merits of the suffering and death of our Savior." In` nant of-grace  with God.`,' Again you see here the unbreakable
the matter ,of the assurance of faith <God confronts us with the         chain  ,according  to which  ,God gives His unconditional mercy
requirements of good works. and of Christian living, not in-             on condition of our fulfilling the  demfands  of His  ,Covenant.
deed as the ground of our  Bssurance,  for that  `,assurance rests           Rev. Ophoff: I have one question. What point is the Rev.  '
only  ,on the merits  ,of Christ.    But nevertheless, good works        Doezema arguing in presenting these excerpts ? Does he mean
must be performed to attain to the assurance of faith. I                 to  .argue  that faith is a condition, a prerequisite unto salvation ?
may refer once more to the  Heidelbserg  Catechism.         Question        -Rev..  Doezema: -1 do not make that kind of distinction and
116  .asks:  "Why  is prayer necessary for Christians  ?" And the        definition of faith. I consider faith to be a spiritual bond with
answer is: "Because it is the .chief part of thankfulness which          Christ.      The Heidelberg  C,atechism gives its contents.  ,But
God requires of us: and also; /because God will give his grace           you also have to insist  .upon  the demand of faith. Faith is a
and Holy Spirit to those only, who with sincere desines con-             reqmrement,  a thing that God demands of all men. God does
tinually. ask them of, him, and are thankful for them." Here             not stipulate  thcat He demands it only of those who  *are in
ragain  we  ,are confronted with the demand.' Prayer is a con-           Christ. But. when we obey that demand, faith in Christ  ,will
dition for Christian living. Again, Art. 22 of the Belgic (Con-          be the, means of the enjoyment of salvation.
fession speaks "of all things which are requisite for our salva-             Rev. Veldman: I would rather have this. discussion under
tion," aad says that they  (are  .a11 in Christ.                         point 1.11 of the- Declaration. All this belongs under the  `un-
   Now let us turn to the Canons. Canons I, 3 speaks of the              conditionality of salvation.
calling of the preaching to repentance and faith. These there-               Rev. Ophoff: The  Rev:  Doezema has evaded my question.
fore come in the form of a demand. And  .again,  therefore,              We must have an answer. The Declaration of Principles says
"you have a requisite or condition to the enjoyment of ,salvation        that faith is not a condition or a prerequisite unto salvation.
in this article ,of .the Canons. In Canons II, -5 the: promise is        Now let the Rev. Doezema show us that this statement in the
presented in a conditional form, and adds to that promise the            Declaration is not in harmony with the Confession. That is
command to repent and believe. Canons III, 5  ,says that the             the question, and that question the Rev. Doezema has not
law "discovers, the greatness of sin, and more and more con-             answered.                                                           `.
vinces man thereof." In other words, through the law God                 R e v . - H .   H . : In the  fin& place, Mr. Chairman, I want  $0
shows man how weak  his,  flesh is, so that he  ca$nnot  fulfill         state that principally we can `agree-with what the Rev. Doeze-
the demands of the law. This is the' confrontation of the law.           ma meant to say. I have tried very seriously to understand
icanons  III, IV, 17, the middle part, speaks of "the sacred pre-        the Rev.  .Doezema-`in  respect to what  he meant to say. And,
cepts of the gospel." And it warns us that we must not                   if rightly understood, I think I  can say again that there. is
presume to tempt God by. separating what He of His good                  no principal objection. Only, he always seems to want to  pre-
plemasure  hath most intimately joined together.  ,And it `tells         sent faith as a condition to salvation. And that certainly,is  not
us,: "For grace is conferred by means of  admoniti0n.s;  and the         correct.     In the second place, I want to say that the remarks
more readily we perform our duty; the more eminent usually               of. the Rev. Ophoff fall  ,aivay,  because this is not a  sub,stit~ute
           `,,                            .


 17%                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 motion, but an ,a.mlendment  to point II, which says plainly that              amendment  is not correctly worded. In the first place, he
 faith is not a condition. And therefore in the amendment to                    speaks of "conditions in God's Word"; but it `is not the Word
 this  rjoint the Rev. Doezema cannot mean to say that faith .is                of Gold, but the  Confes,sions   tha.t is in question here. Besides,
 a condition, because then the  .amendment  would destroy the                   the Rev. Doezema `ita his amendment states that these so-called
 original motion. I think, Mr. Chairman, th.at the Rev. Doezema                 conditions consist in "the confrontation of  ~God's-  demand,
will' admit  that- his own motion was somewhat hastily com-                    which God  amexes to the  liromise." Also this is not correct.
 posed  .and is not very correctly worded, in fact, in a way is                 God does ,not annex anything to the promise.- That leaves the
.somewhat clumsily expressed. Besides, I agree with what the                   impression as if  ,t,he promise  ,a.fter all were conditional, as if
Rev.  Vddman said about this amendment belonging under point                   we must do something before we can receive the promite. And
III. Yesterday I offered to serve  `on a committee to help the                 that is not correct. God does not  ,an,nex  the command to the
Rev. Doezema find. confessional proof for his motion. I was                    promise.    By the `promise, that is,  when  God fulfills the
very serious  .about  this, although you rejected my offer. But                promise, the demand is written in our hearts. And the last part
I thought about the material of the Rev.  Doeiema'sg  amend-                   of-the amendment I suppose refers to the very first part. The
ment, attempted to put it  h  my own words, and find confes-                   pronoun "them" must. refer to "conditions in God's Word."
sional proof for it. In this I  ,acted  all alone in my study last             But grammatically the same pronoun could refer to all that is
night. And this morning  I  ai%  prepa,red to offer `a suggestion              between. And therefore the formulation is clumsy and ambigu-
which covers the :sanie material as the amendment :of the Rev.-                ous.
Doezema, though it is presented in a ?lifferent  f.orm. I have al-                 Rev. Veldman:  I- was troubled about this business early
most the same references from the  con&ss+ons  which he has.                   this morning. More  .and more I feel that it is a pity that we
It may even look like  plsgiarism,  but it is not. And therefore               never had confer-en&s.  We would ba.ve understood one another
I suggest this amendment in the place of the Rev. D.oezema's:                  better. And we would have been closer to  oine  another.
"The sure promise of. God which He realizes in-us as rational                      Rev. Vos:  I too consider it unfortunate that this amend-
and moral creatures  not only makes it  irn,possible  that we                  ment  co,mes  at this time. It really belongs under the third
should not `bring forth fruits of thankfulness, but also con-                  point .of the Declaratilon.
fronts us with the obligation of love: to walk in a new and                    R e v .   H .   H . : To  maks  this plain, Mr.  Chairnmn,  cannot we
holy life, and constantly to watch unto prayer. All those who                  read point iI3: with the amendment?
are not thus disposed, who -do not repent but walk in sin, are                    .Rev.  VeBdman:  Only the Rev. Doezema can withdraw his
the objects of His just wrath  .and excluded from the kingdom                  amendment at this time, so that. we c'an take  it up at point III.
of heaven."                                                                    It was his amendment.                  e
   I  cffer  the, following confessional grounds for this amend.                   Rev. Doezema: Mr. Chairman, I want to m.aintain my own
ment.                                                                          ame::,dment. I still insist that there are toonditions  in the Word
    1. The Baptism Form, point 3 of the doctrinal section;                     jf God. The Declaration states that little  infsnts  cannot  ful-
which  speaks of our part in the covenant of God.               -         '    fill conditions.  tBut  &at is not the question.. This Declaration
   2. The Form for the Administration of the  Lo.rd?s Supper,                  was tentively adopted by our Synod of 1950. And since we have
beginninlg  with "all those then who  .are thus `disposed," etc.,              made history with this document, I want my stand to be known.
,and up to and ,including  the, paca.graph  which starts "All these            in the minutes  ..of  Synobd,  so that' all our churches may know
while they continue in such :sins," etc.          -                            where I stand. Our churches! ask me to preach for them, or ex-
   3. Heidelberg  ,C'atechism,  Qu. 64, which speaks of the  ini-              tend a call to me. I  want  them to know my stand. And, if
possibiglity  of carelessness and profanity in believers Qu. 84,               necessary, I also want my  ,sta*nd to be condemned officially:
which  <speaks  of the preaching.  .of the gospel as a' key of  .the           And therefore, I want my amendment to stand, so that all may
kingdom of heaven. And Qu. 116 which .speaks  of the nedsesity                 know my position.
of prayer for Christians.                                                         Rev.  Ophofi: I wish I knew what  th'at stand of the Rev. L.
   4. Canons III, IV,  12,  16, 17, and  also  R, 9;  V, 14.         '         boezema  is. His proposition is not clear to me. I interpret it
   5. Belgic Confession, Art. 24.                                              as saying that the commands of God and the believers' response
   You see, Mr. C,hairn+r,  I proceed from the assumption .that                to the  comniand  is a condition to salvation. If that is true,
the -Rev. L. Doezema in his motion yesterday meant .to make                    th?n the law,  obedi,ence,  and  faith are conditions to salvation.
an amendment to II.  ife  dild not mean to destroy  II  as. to its             On the other  !hand,  he  s,peaks  of  ,God's   uncolnditional  grace and
contents.    Hence, point II still stands.  T:hat  .point  says that           mercy.  -There  is ambiguity  .and dualism in his proposition. If
faith is not a condi~tion,  `but &n instrument., `*The amendment               God's mercy is unconditi,onal,   ,how can obedience to the law be
certainly does not mean to contradict that proposition. If it' a condition to this unconditional mercy? This to me is non-
does, it is no amendment.- In thesecond   place,  Mr. .Chairmen,               sense And therefore I  :as;k him to clarify his stand.
I want to point out  thht the Rev. Doezema in his argument
from the Confession,, seems to  f,orget  that the promise of the                   The'discussjon continues.  ai follows :
covenant is not another law. It is not another covenant of                        Rev: van  Weelden: Now  we- are getting at the heart of the
works, but a covenant of grace. Grace dominates the whole                      matter. I am convinced that these statements concerning the
covenant. The result is that we do not have to have another                    unconditionality cf salvation are certainly the truth. Yet I too
law confronting us, but that we have the law by grace-written                  feel that there are conditions  h  Scri.pture  in a certain sense.
in our, hearts,. The obligation and t.he precept become one be-                I am not much in favor of'the  word condition, but there is an
cause both are  rooted~int love. There is not  (an obligation of               idea in the word that I like to keep. I  feel.like Bavinck, who
another law, that stands without. us. But there is an  ,obliga-                said that in the covenant `of  grace  there are no conditions or
tion of a  law..written  in our hearts. It is not a law imposed                demands. But he speaks of a conditional form. Faith is no
upon us from without,, but it is *a law that is entirely in harmony            condition to the covenant, but a condition in the covenant. It
with our imnost heart. For this you can see  Hieb. 8, which                    is the way for the  enjoymcrlt of all the blessings `of the  cove-
speaks* of the new' covenant through which the law is written                  nmt. The confrontation  i,s very strong  irn Scripture. God  -con-
in our hearts. Thirdly, as I  #said  before, the  .Rev.   Doezema's,           fronts, us, places before all who hear the demand to repent.


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        177

 This element we -must keep. I agree that  ,salvation  is uncon-            amended is put to a  vote, and carries, again by a vote
 ditional, and  that faith, is no condition unto salv;a,tion.  But this     of 9 to 7.
 idea in conditio.n.s  we must +etain. (In this connection the Rev.              Discussion is begun on point  .I11 of  the~Dklar&ion.
 van  Weelden  quoted some passages from  th&  dogmatics   off Dr.
 Bavinck, which, .however,  the reporter did not quote.)                        A  inotion is made to express that this part of the
    Rev. Veldman:  I like to emphasize that we  ares in danger              Declaration is the truth expressed in the Confessions
 of denying or softening the truth of the unconditionality'of  the          as these were always interpreted and maintained in
 promise of God  when   we try to maintain the term  con&ion                the Prot. Ref. Churches.,,
 oevtirtheless.  Remember that in our Confessions the term is'
 never used favorably.                                                          Rev. Veldman: jr, make an amendment that instead of III,
    Rev. Ophoff: You may say all you like that salvatio,n  is un- ,~_ B, 2, we insert the statement which the Rev. Hi H. made this
 conditions.1.  But if  ati the same  tilne  you  speak  of conditions,     morning, together with the grounds of the Confessions which
                                                                            be offered.
 YOU  have ambiguity, and  a duality.  T.he Rev. Doezema says
 that God's `mercy is unconditional,, and, yet that there are con-              R,ev. H. H.: I would like to know what this  piart  of the
 ditions  itn the Word of God. The whole issue in this debate is            Declaration is, that has to be  replaCed.  The question  is: are all'
 this: is the law of, God .aad the (believer's resp0ns.e  to that law       the amendments covered by the sta.tement I offered this morn-
 and to the demand a condition unto salvation? I- like to have              ii-g? If so,  .$ think it is safe to do  th?s;
,an answer to this question. We must know what the brethren                     Part III, B, 2 is now read.
 meam.                                                                          Nlr. John  F.sber:    The Rev. `J. van Weelden said somethiig
    Rev:  H- H.: After the last  remark of the Rev. L Doezema,              was  missitig  in  .the Declaration. I think he will find what is
 I have need cf his  answer&g  another question. Did he mean                missing right in this amendment I think, therefore, Mr. Chair-
 this amendment to be an-amendment, or did he mean by this                  man., we should adopt this ,amendment.                  -.
.so-called amendment to contradict point II ? I now get the im-
 pression that he does not agree with point II, and  that, he                   The amendment is now voted upon, and  ckries.
 means to express this in his .amEndment.  If so, then this, is no          No dissenting votes are voiced. Thereupon the motion
 amendment, but it destroys the  origimal  motion.. And then it             with the amendment is put to a vote,  ,and carries by a
 is out of  order.                                                          vote of 9 to 7.
    Rev. Doezema,: That is the usual way to  pla,ce   tihe  buvrden
 of proof upon me. If Synod thinks that my  .amendment  con-.                   Point IV of the Declaration is now  &ad and dis-
 trzdicts the Confessions  \and  the  Decl%ration,  let Synod say it,       cussed.
 ar'd let Synod reject the amendment and reject me. That is                    Rev. H. H.: I make a motion that we eliininate  A under IV.
what I want. It has  been intimated that the only use of the                   Rev. Vos: That is out of order. We first must have a  mo-
 mcrd  co;&tion   i-s  Arminian,  In my  mied this is not  tme. We          ticn-to the effect that we adopt point IV.         .          .
 can use the word condition in such L way that the iConfessions             Rev. Veldman: I so move.                                a
 are not contradicted. And I do not think that my amendment                    Rev. H.  I%: I now make ,ba.n `amendment to eliminate point
 contradicts the Confessions.                                               A, 1 and 2. My ground for this  ,amendment  is not' that we do
 , Rev. H.  I%.:  I' am not satisfied with that  ainswer.    I want a n;t express  t,he truth here, but I am nevertheless impressed
 definite answer  w.hether or not his  Iamendment   Idestroys  the          by the objections handed in that we cannot express judgment
 second point and the original,motion.  I say once more:, in that           tipon these churches.
 case it is out of order. Will the Rev.  Doezema vote yes  ,on the
 motion  11s amended ? That  is the test as to whether this-amend-              The amendment  is put to a vote and carries with-
 qn,ent  de&oys  the original motion, <or not.                             out  ti dissenting vote.
    Rev. Doezems: I gave the amendment to test your  rea&.ion                   Another amendment is  made to insert thk  amend-
 to it. I intended to give  anothitr  amendmerit later. I will not          mknts suggested by  ,Classis  East, which contain the
 vote for  anything  which says, "This is an  ,expression  of the
.Corfessio.n:,"  t%ll I can see the necessity of it.                        grounds  f.or the motion that is -on the floor.  ,This
    Rev. Ophoff:                                                            amendment too carries  withoLit a dissenting  vpte.                 -
                      1. still like to know what, the  Rev; Doezema
 means. Does he mean that faith is a condition unto salvation ?              . The motion  witlz the amendments is now put to  a
 Let him clarify his  ,own  proposition.                                    vote.      It carries `without a dissenting vote being
   *Rev. Doezema:  ,God has placed that umbreakable  relation-              v o i c e d .
 rhip th,at there is no enjoyment df aslvation  until certain things
..take plack  and certain demands are fulfilled.                                The  preamble is  no& treated; and a motion is made
    Rev.  lOphoff: Again, Mr. Chairman,  th+ is  evadhmg   Jhe             to adopt the preamble. .A substitute motion  i.s made
 question.'                                             I                  to add this  preamtible to the Declaration. A motion is
     The amendment of the Rev.  L.  Doezemi is now put                     mad& to table the matter till we decide the main  ques-'
                                                                 .
to a  vote9 and fails to carry.                                            tion as to  Whether we are going to adopt the  Declara-.
     A substitute motion is made that Synod expresses                       tion  for the use of the Mission Committee  a%d the mis-
that there is nothing essentially objectionable in Point                   sionary as a basis  for the  organizatidn of churches.
 II. That motion  .is supported. And immediately an                             A motion is now `made to adopt the Declaration, to
amendment is made to add:  `6because it is the truth                       be used by thk Mission Committee and the missionary
expressed in' the Confessions." The amendment car-                         as a  ,basis for the organization of churches.
ries by -a vote of 9 to* 7. Thereupon the  motioil as                           An amendment is made to add the word "only,"


178                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   BFARER

so that it reads: "to be used only for  the organization                      I am very glad, Mr. Chairman,  tha~t the Rev. Cammenga
of churches."                                                              expressed -wholehearted agreement with the contents of the
   The amendment carries.                               _                  Declaration. And  1% will try to  answer briefly his queskion as
                                                                           to what must be aone  with.the  Declaration of Principles in the
       The Tuesday afternoon session is  ciosd  with mission field.
prgw.                                                             i  ii
                                                             I                It is  my'conviction that it will not prove to be difficult for
  The  Wedaesday  morning session is opened with                           him to explain to Reformed people,  t&at is, in the general
the proper devotional exercises. Thereupon the Rev.                        sense Reformed, this  documemt in such a way that they can
A.  ,Cammenga  is given the floor  to. address Synod, a                    understand the truth of it in distinction froni whatever might
                                                                           be in conflict with it. In 1924 and after we had to explain the
privilege to  which he has the right according to Art.                     tricky Three Points, which  WBS much more difficult than the
8  df the Constitution of the Mission Commitee.                            expl?nation  of this Decclaration.  We instructed the people public-
       I am'very sorry that the reporter did not tran-                     ly and privately.  .And when after being instructed they asked
scribe that speech of the Rev. Cammenga in his  re`port.                   for organization, we granted their  request!  The fruit of our
                                                                           labors was usually 
Btit at the time I jotted `down the main points of that                                           smail. The gatherings were always well at-
                                                                           tended,  but only a few families usually  org,anized. Oak Lawn,
speech. These are as follows : 1.  @ the first place, the                  for instance, was o&anized  with ~6 families; South Holland with
Rev. Cammenga expressed that he was very much  ag-                         7, Rock  %lley  with 9, etc. The only churches  that organized
.grieved by the. atmosphere of suspicion in which he                       in greater numbers were Hull, with approximately 40 families,
labored as missionary of our churches. He  *felt very                      and Redlands, with 33. That only few organized shows that the
                                                                           othess  understood rather definitely  ' what  we  preaihed  and
strongly that he and his labors were put under a                           ta.ught.  Also in Hamilton, I am convinced, the families that
cloud of suspicion in the midst of  our churches, as if                    organized understood the difference very well. You can: easily.
he did not faithfully present the  qrot. Ref. truth in                     explain the difference between a promise for everybody, .and a
h i s   l a b o r s .                                                      promise for the elect only. I think it is not necessary to have a
       2.    In the second place, the Rev. Cammenga                        series of pamphlets to do that. We trust our missionary to be
                                                                           #able  and willing to explain the Declaration.
strongly expressed  that~ he had no objection  to the                         Then  there is the q&&ion whether there must be complete
contents of the Declaration.  .He feels that they are                      uliderstanding  and agree&&,  or a willingness to be instructed
surely the expression of the Cqnfessions, as we have                       before they can be organized. Now, Mr. Chairman, although'
always interpreted them. He is in full agreement with                      we like to organize churches, we certainly are not interested in
the truth of that  Declakation, has always preached it,                    the-first  pla.ce  in establishing churches, but  %n proclaiming the
                                                                           Reformed truth. The Christian Reformed Churches are not
land will. preach it in the future.  1                                     interested in being very specific. And if we follow their ex-
       3. The  Rey. Cammenga asks what must be done                        ample, it `is not difficult for  us to become big,' especially in
with the Declaration' when he goes to the mission                          Canada. But we do not expect our missionary to organize
`field.  i$st the Declaration be conceived as a signatory                  churches left amd right, although we like to organize new con-
`document, which all that express the desire to  .be or-' gre@ions  and we must have fruit on our labor under the
                                                                           blessing of God also in that way: But we must remember that
ganized as a Prot. Ref. Church must sign? And must                         it  wil,l  bk a slbw process, unless we are willing to widen the
`the  ,people thoroughly understand the contents of the                    gate. And therefore; I think that the question of the Rev.
Declar&ion  and express whole-hearted agreement with                       Cammenga should be ansiw;ere:ed  thus. Sf after aa while the Rev.
its contents before they can even be drganized into a                      ,CalTmernga  knows a  gsoup  that in a general way understands
Prot. Ref. Church? The `speaker feels that  tl& `will                      the De&ration,  and  then expresses its desire to be organized
                                                                           into a Prot. Ref. Church, they should be organized.  But they
take a long time. He suggests that a pamphlet be                           must understand the difference. You cannot organize merely
written, or &en a series of pamphlets, to present this                     on the basis of a promise that they will not agitate against the
Declaration  in printed form, together with the neces-                     truth. That is negative, and we mhst have something positive
sary elucidations and comments.                                            as a basis for organization.
                                                                              And now, Mr. Chairman,  i have  #something  to say yet
   Rev. Hoeksema: In the first place, Mr. Chairman, I want                 about the motion  &at  is, on the floor. I do not care  ,a great
to  make a few remarks  irn. response `to the speech of the Rev.           Ideal whether the  Synod adopt's this motion or not, that  is: to
Cammenga. As to his remark concerning the suspicion that is                add the preamble that this Declaration is only to be-" used for
cast upop his l&bor,s,  I want to emphasize that I personally am           the organization of churches by the Mission Committee and
certainly not the author of those suspicions.  I never gossip              by the  mis,sionary.   <But I think that Synod does, wisely if it
,and cast suspicion. But what I say arnd  w?ite  I express openly.         adopts this motion, nevertheless, because it will limit what we
.Nor do I hear much  about that suspicion. But, Mr. Chairman,              have. adopted so far. The Declaration is adopted now .anyway.
it is not our churches that cast suspicion upon the labors of              and   that'is sufficient for me. However, I am afraid that if
our missionaries, but those outside of our churches. I defer  to           nothing  i& added, what  :some  fear might happen, and that it
writings, such as those of Mr. van Dixhoorn in  Chatham,  who              will' be considered a fourth form. Therefore we must add that.
Idectar,ed  publicly that when  Ghatham  was organized, they               it is  only- for the use of the Mission Committee and the  mis-
mever promised to abide by the doctrine  of. the Prot. Ref.                sionary for the organization of  churchei.  Once more I say
Churches. For the rest, Mr. Chairman, I  th+nk I can assure                that it is immaterial to me whether or not the Synod adopts
the Rev. Cammenga that four churches p not put him under a                 this motiom. The truth prevails, whatever we do: Of that I am
c&oud ,of suspicion.                                                       convinced. You cannot legislate the truth, not by a majority
                                                I                                                                      :


                                            T H E `   STANDA~RD   B E A R E R   .,

                                                            i'
 vote. Nor. can you. do anything against the truth by a vote of             Rev. Cammenga: The motion says that the Declaration is to
 Synod. The truth is free, and will certainly prevail.                   be used  "as, a basis for organizing churches." Is that true?
    In the third pbace,  it is plain now that the Declaration has        IS not the basis for organization .of churches Scripture  and the
.been adopted, that the Consistory of Fuller. Ave. in conjunction        Co,nfessions  `in the light of what we expressed  sincel  1924-T
 with tlie Mission Committee can exercise its own right, and             Would  it not be better to call it an instructive document?
 print pamphlets if they deem necessary, and ask that our mis-              Rev. Veldman: I feel for what the Rev. A Cammenga says.
 sion work be conducted according to the Declaration of Prin-            I hesitate too to adopt that word  bask.   I prefer  instrument.
 ciples. We do not need  Ia decision of Synod for that.                  Basis  ,can mean a  whole lot.
    Rev. Cammenga: Mr. Chairman, the  impres,sion  `must mot be             Rev.  VOS:' The Rev. J. Howerzyl  says that he is surprised
 left as if I find it difficult to explain the Declaration to the        at the rem.a.rks that the Declaration may look.like  a dangerous
 people. I asked for the pamphlets rather to be witness next             thing. But the .danger or fear ,expressed  of having such adocu-
 to mine that my explanation is correCt. It is not so easy to ex-        ment or instrument was expressed by tho,se  who did not -want
 plain the pure Reformed truth to people even of, so-called Re:          to accept the Declaration. Those that spoke  agdnst  the De-
 formed persuasion, especially not today. It is much more  dif-          claration repeatedly spoke of its damger. Therefore it is wise
."f$ult  today than when'the Rev. `Hoeksema fwent  out to explain        to limit it by this motion  ,and amendment,        '              _.
 the Three Points. Today even people that  ca.11  themselves Re-            Rev. Ophoff: I like to know, Mr. Chairman, what danger
 formed do not know the truth as did the- former generations.            there can b,e ever in expres,sing  the. truth. This Declaration is,
 At that time, when they heard us they testified that this was           according to the conviction of Synod, the truth as expressed in
 what they have always`been  taug#ht  to be the t.ruth of the. Re-       our Confessions. It is, therefore, to our conviction the same as
 formed Confessions. But today I  would say that' even many              the Confessions,. .To be opposed to the Declaration is the same
 that call themselves Reformed hate the pure Reformed truth.             as being. oppo.;ed  to the `Confessions. Let us admit this.
    Rev. H. H.: I have no objection to the proposition >of print-           Rev. Hoeksema: I am not afraid of this document, mo
 ing pamphlets. I also realize'very.well that times are different        more than I am afraid of the Confessions.  Never,theless,   .sup-
 now from what they were 25 years ago.  Nevertheleds,   n/I!.            pose that one comes to our  Co&story  to protest against `a
 Chairman, is not this a question for Fuller Avenue's Consistory         sermon, and appeals to the Declaration. That would not be
 in conjunction with the  Mission  Committee?                            formally correct: And we would have to  refer. him  to.  the
    Rev. Ophoff: The Rev. H. Hoeksema is not so much inter-              Three Forms of Unity- as .a basis for his, protest.
 ested in this particular motion. Neither am I, seeing that the             Rev. Veldman: I am not satisfied with this motion. "Basis"
 Declaration itself is adopted. But yould it not be ridiculous to        for organizing congregations does not sound good to me.                 -
 vote it down now ?                                                         Rev. van Weelden: It was remarked that the opposition to
    Mr.  John  Faber: Mr. Chairman, I think we need to adopt             the Declaration  ha.s spoken of this fear that it might be used
 this motion, and I hope that we adopt it unanimously. I am              in a wrong way, while the others did not express  snch  fear.
 thinking of- the public and the church-#world  .tb.at is watching us    Suppose that this motion fails, does that mean that what we
 today. No doubt men like the Rev. Daane will write about it.            decided in regard to the  Declaaa.tion  takes on the form of a
 The Liberated, reading the report of the Synod, will say that           fourth form? I claim that this is not true.
 there are'still some amon,g  us that believe otherwise. And they           Rev.  H. H.: I can feel something for the remarks of the
 will point to the negative votes that are -recorded in the Acts         Rev. Veldman. We do not organize on the basis of the  De;
 of Synod. But, Mr. Chairman, I want to emphasize that the' claration, but on the basis of Scripture and the Three Forms
 negative votes did not mean that some of us <are convinced that         of Unity.    Can we not remedy this by stating "on the  ba&
 the  DeclaraOion   is not the expression of the truth of our Con-       of Scripture and the Three Forms of Unity  as, always main-
 fessions. Some voted' .no, so they told me, not because they            tained by the Prot. Ref. Churches and as they are further ,ex-
 were not in agreement with the contents of the Declaration, but         plained  in the Declaration of Principles"? I  ,make  that an
 just because they did not  ,want to declare anything. Others,           amendment, that we elide all after the word "missionary",
 though they .agreed  with the contents of the Declaration, said         and in its place add: "to be used only for the  organiza.tion  of
 that it-does not  ,say all that can be said, and therefore vote         prospective churches on the basis, of Scripture and the Con-
 against it. But essentially there is agreement among us as to           fessions as they have always been maintained in the  Prot.
 the principles. Hence, we need to pass this motion.                     Ref. Churches,, and as these have been further explained in
     Mr. N.  ,Yonker:  This  D,eclaration   w.as composed at the re-     regard to certain principles in the Declaration."        I
 quest of the Mission  .Com,mittee,  and therefore we certainly
 must adopt this motion.  If  we do not pass this motion, we                 `This   knendment is  put  to a vote, and is  Carrie&
 have given the Mission Committee no answer to its request,                  The motion with the amendment is put to a vote.
    Rev. Veldman: What can be wrong from  la.ny point of view            Three votes are recorded  cs being against it.
 in passing this motion ? Surely, if we pass this motion, it can-
 not be an obstacle for correspondence with the Liberated                Rev. H. H.: May  I.know,  Mr. Chairman, what it means that
 Churches of the Netherlands, or with any Reformed churches.             these three negative votes .are recorded ?       Does it mean that
 We owe it to one `another to express clearly what w,e believe to        these brethren want their name publicly recorded in the Stan-
 be the truth of our Reformed Confessions.  ~Let us, therefore,          aard Bearer  if the report of Synod is written? They  will,  of
 adopt this motion, and use the Declaration as a' basis for the          cou1:se,   be' recorded in the  -Acts. But I do not  want `to in-
 organization of churches, to be used by the Mission Committee           sult the brethren by mentioning their names or by failing to;
 and by the missionary. There  >erta.inly  cannot be any danger          d o   s o .
 then in adopting this Declaration of Principles.                           Rev. Vos: I do not understand this recording by name and
     Rev. Howerzyl: Those last remarks I cannot. understand.             its  import,.   It is proper procedure in  church  polity? Does it
 Why should there be dan,gers  ? It is all settled. If `Synod voted      mean to leave room for a protest, or it is a protest?
 its convictions, I cannot see. how the Declaration could be used            Rev. Veldman : I cannot see the necessity of mentioning
  in a wrong  way.                                                       .th;he names of those who voted neg-titively.


                                                                                                  -~=
   1 8 0                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                           __-
      Rev. H. H.:      To me -it means  .that these brethren want
   their names  pub,lished.-  Otherwise I  cannot  see why it must                                        Correction,  PLmz?
   be recorded in the Acts.
      ReQ Howerz yl : I cannot have  any  objectibn   to  .lia.ving  my                     In your article entitled ."The  6tocking is  Finished"~
 name  publjshed;  since'it will appear in, the Acts.                                    in the last  issue of the Standard -Bearer (Jan.  1,.  1952)
       The Rev. L. Doezema and  tKe Rev:  J: van Weelden                            you  state `the following, in connection with a letter
   express their agreement with this statement.                                          sent by our, deputies of correspondence to the Re-
       The preamble is  now further treated. A substitute                           formed  churches (Art. 31) ; "However, when the work
  motion is made to use the substance of the mdtion  just                           of the committee for correspondence was reported at
  passed, and the amendment, as a preamble instead of                               the Synod of 1948,  $$e  latte;  con!cLemnecl (I under-
  the one suggested by  Classis  East. This motion is                               score, B.K. that letter, and decided to rewrite it, anh
  put to a vote, and according to  t%e  presideizt  is car-                         send a different letter to the same deputies for cor-
  ried by a vote of 13 to 3. After Synod there seems to                             respondence in the Netherlands, `and to their Synod
  be some doubt as to -whether this estimate by" the                                which was to  couvene` in Amersfoort the same sum-
  president is correct;  ,Certaihly it sounded to me as if                          mer." Although there are  seqral statements with
  the motion was carried  \+ith an overwhelming ma-                                 which I cannot agree in the aformentioned article, this
  jority,. and, after all only three negative votes were                            is one of the most  outst&ndik;g ones. As delegate to
  recorded. -These were those of the Revs. L. Doezema,                              the Synod of 1948 I deny that the Synod  conclemnetl
.-  J-. Howerzyl, and J. van Weelden                            ~                   the  letter. of it's deputies of correspondence, yea it
   . The  Sygod  had  %nished its agendum. The Rev.  `G.                            did not even speak one word of disapproval, but rather,
  V,os addressed a few  appropritite  words to Synod, and                           upon the advice of -you, expressed `"That the  Synod
  also personally to the Rev. A.  Cammenga,, and there-                             ili the main agreed with the Bentiments expressed in
  upon closed the sessions of Synod with thanks to God.                             that letter.  " In the light of this I-am  at a loss to
                                 :                                   H. H.          undersand  liow  you  can state that the Syriod of  1948
                                                                                    tiomnclernmecl that letter.  i
                                          l3l                                               To let our readers judge, I shall translate, both
                                                                                    the letters as they appear in the Acts of 1948, as also
                                      Resolution:          *                        the action taken in regards to them by Synod.               (See
     Whereas, on November 23, 1951, God in His providence IUS                       Acts 1948 pp. 37-39, and 53-54). Here follows the
  taken unto himself                                                                translation of the first letter of the deputies of cor-
                           QXr; John  Hekman                                        respondence.
  our fellow board member,'
  Be it resolved, that the Board of the Grand Rapids Christian
  High School express its deepest sympathy to his iidow and                                                               Grand Rapids Michigan
  family who mourn his passing.
     May our covenant God grant comfort in this sorrow and may                                                           February, 1948
  He fill the loss in the ranks of Christian education, a cause
  which our fellow worker cherished  and served so actively.                        To -the Deputies of Correspondence :
            -                             `Dr. W. Harry Jellema, President          Esteemed Brethren in the Lord:
                                           Dr. Daniel De .Vries,  Secretary
  Adopt`ed  December 7, 1951                                                        _       The undersigned send this letter to you as Com-
                                                                                    mittee, appointed by the Synod of our Protestant  R&
                          A:-::                                                     formed Churches, to do preparatory work, which we
                               I&  MEMORIAN                                         hope, will lead to correspondence with  our Churches.
    `The  Creston  Young People Society her&with  express#es  its                           The need is felt in our  ChuTFhe&  60 seek  cldser con-
  sympathy with their fellow-member, Leonard  Kunz, in the                          tact with your Churches. And this desire, which  hits
-  recent  death of his  mbther,                                                    been present with us for some time, has especially
                               Magdalena               Kunz                         fbeen strengthened in the past years. And from the
    We commit him to the loving czre of `God who tells us that
- He-is the Husbtid  of widows and the Father of orphans.                           voices we hear in your circles, this desire is also evi-
                                             Miss Nancy  Hagar, Secretary           dent in your midst.
                                                                                          _ We are convinced  that as Churches we have much
                                       :-::                                   ._
                          -      -                                                  i n   commoq. Both Church groups stand on the basis
 i  The consistory of the  Fir& Protestant Reformed Church  ex-                     oflthe Three  Forms- of Unity. Added to this we can
 `presses its- sincere sympathy to Deacon John  Wierenga   atid                     find several points of agreement as to the occasion
  family  iA the death of its infant son  ,and -brother.                            and origin of both of our Church groups. We  are.
    May the Lord grant His grace, peace and comfort in  their
a isorrow.                                                                          firmly  coqyinced that our Churches are the continua-
                                                 Rev. C. Hanko, Pres.               tion of the original, Reformed Churches, and that the
                                                 J. Bouwman, Clerk                  origin of  our Churches in 1924  ~was characterized as


             e                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            _ 181

 an act of Reformation. But .we also believe that the              "Motion is made and supported to  adopt:the advice
 origin of your Churches was a' Reformation  an5 -a             of Committee of  l?re-advice under II, B, 2, that Synod
 return to the old and tried Reformed paths. Both,              expiess its agreement with the contents of the letter.
 your Church group, and ours, know of no binding                   "Substitute motion is made and supported to re-
 Synodical decrees, which are products of additions             fer this matter  $0 Rev.-H.  Hbeksema for his sugges-
 to the  IConfessions. Further,~  as far as Church Polity       tion and advice.
 is concerned, we are entirely agreed.            Dogmatical       "The Substitute'motion  caryies."
 differences, which possibly  may exist  between you and            From the same Acts we find under Art. 51 the
 us, are no confessional differences. We may believe,           following.                                           .
 that it is our very! heartfelt desire, to be subject to,
 an'd  io be led `by, the Word of God, and we know our-            "Synod returns to the  niaterial  under Art.  26. Rev.
 selves to be bound to the Confessions we have in  co&          Hoeksema  serves Synod with advice in the form of a
                                                                proposed letter to the Synod of the Reformed Churches
--~QlOIl.
       The visit of` Prof. K. Schilder in our midst has         of the Netherlands (Art.  31).
 been conducive to strengthening the tie  cbetween us.             This letter `reads  a,+  followti:  (I translate` B.K.)
 Prof. Schilder, who is also one  ,Of your deputies, will       `-To the Synod of the-Reformed  Cliurches (Art.  $1)                _
 undoubtedly further enlighten you concerning  us. We
 thought also to notice in  .him a desire for closer  cqn-      "Esteemed and Worthy Brethren:
                                                                                     ,                                    ?
 tact between  us.                                                  "The  ISynod of the Protestant Reformed Churches
       Finally, the fact that at present many Reformed,         in the United States brings the following to your at-
 Holland immigrants are moving to America and  ,Can- "tention :
 ada, is all the more reason why we, if  ,at all pos-                "1. That our deputies for correspondence with
 sible, would like to have correspondence with your             `Churches in other lands, have. brought to  our atten-
 Churches. We do not know where the  ,Liberated fam-            tion a letter, containing a request for' correspondence
 ilies are to be found, because we do  .not have their          with the Reformed Churches maintaining Art. 31
 address&. If at all possible we would like to do some-         (This is the letter translated above. B.K.) . `This letter
 thing for the members of your  ,Churches.         We  would    had already  .been sent to your. deputies for correspon-
 also like to receive  th`em in our Churches, or to or-         dence, and will undoubtedly be brought to the attention
 ganiz& them into  congregatidns  wherever possible. I n        of your Synod for further consideration, which Synod
 the present  circusmstances  this is  rather difficult be-     we believe is to convene  D.V,, in  .September.
 cause  wei do not know where they now live, or are                 "2.  That  owr Synod  in  genieral  is agreed with  the
 planning to live, Under these circumstances it is very         ientirntqts expressed in that letter.          (I underscore,
 well possible. that your,  members may find a church           B;K.).  we are eager to seek closer contact with the
 home in the  which they eventually will not feel  -at          Reformed Churches maintaining Art. 31.  _ As was
 home. Also in this respect,  dose contact  bettveen our        stated in the letter sent by our deputies; we stand
  Churches, would indeed be desirable.                          with you on `the basis of Scripture and the Three
   Brethren,  we could write much. more, but this               Forms  bf Unity, and maintain the unadulterated Re-                      -'
 letter is  only intended as an initial attempt to  come        formed Church Polity,  averse to all hierarchy.
 to closer contact with one another. With keen in-                  "3. That we, of course, do not expect that your                       _
 terest we look forward to an answer from  .you, to             Synod, at its first meeting, shall  .definitely decide to
 know your thoughts in the matter. Perhaps your                 establish the relationship of  gister church&, between
 committee has some definite propositions in re this            you and us, no  m&e than you  expect that of  us. How-
 question. Our Synod  .convenes in the beginning of             ever if your  `Synod should decide to take steps in that
 June, and  ?f we receive an answer in time, then per-          direction, then we request that your deputies corres-
 haps our Synod  can.make some  de,finite decisions and         pond, or meet with  o&s, in order to advise your Synod
 regulations in this matter.                                    as well as ours, in re the question of contact-between
       With high-esteem and brotherly' greetings,  '            our Church groups, and then to` make definite de-
                           we remain: yours in Christ,          cisions.
                                      The Committee,                Wishing your gathering the Lord's blessing, we re-
                                         H; Hoeksema            main with high-esteem,
                                                                              \
                                        $%  &I.  ,Ophoff                           The Synod of the Prot. Ref. Churches.
                                         J. D. de Jong              ":Substit&e motion is made and  supported  (for
       In  Art;46  <(Acts  1948)   we  read:                    Art,  46)  that  Synod  adopt  this  letter  as  its  own,  an-d


 Is?.                                  T H E   ,STANDARD  B E A R E R '   -                                         ,Y

send,it as such to the Synod of the Reformed Churches            v i c e . "In that sense I used the word in my editorial,
 (Art. 31). It is so decided."                                   and in that sense it is certainly applicable to the de-
 In the light of these facts, how is it possible for             cision of synod in regard to the letter which the com-
you to write, that the Synod of 1948  conclemnaed the            mittee for correspondence  ha'd sent to the Netherlands.
first letter of its deputies?  .- It did. no express one              In proof of  thfi I offer the following:.
word of condemnation of the first letter.  It  clld  noz              1. The very fact that, when the motion was  macie
retract a single statement of it; it did not even decide         to adopt and express agreement with the letter sent
to substitute-the second letter for the  Yirst. On  tile         by the committee, first a substitute motion was made to
c'ontrary,  it  not only expressed its agreement with  tile      refer the matter to the undersigned for advice, and
first letter, but substantiated it with  a.second. I agree       afterwards synod substituted an' entirely different
with you that neither the first, nor the second letter           letter, proves that  synod did not  appro+e of  then first
express the sentiment of our Churches today, but they            lettek.    I claim that when a substitute motion pre-
certainly  express'ed  the sentiment of our Churches in          vails the original motion is dropped. And when synod
1947, 1948. I do not care to discuss with you .the rea-          adopted the second letter instead of the first, it dis-
sons for this change in  sentimelit in our Churches,             carded the  lattef, disapproved of its contents, and
-but I do not agree with you, that the cause of this is          judged it  ,unfit for  service.
only to be found. in the Netherlands. But `whatever                  2. Anyone who compares the two letters, that of
the cause let us  ,not distort history. By such  care-           the committee for correspondence and that of the sy-
les: and erroneous statements the cause  oi God is               nod, can see for himself that they are two entirely dif-
not prospered. I know only too well, as  1 have always           ferent letters, and will, at the same time, readily sur-
known, that  there are differences between us and  tile* mise, why synod disapproved of the first. In his article,
Liberated, but let us  s&ek to remove them in  #the way          the Rev. Kok again underscores a sentence:  "That our
of truth.                                                        synod  ilt general is agreed with the sentiments  ez-
                                                     B.K.
                           .-                                    pressed in  th,at letter." But to interpret synod cor-
R&Y                                                              rectly, he should not have underscored the entire sen-
    I could be  verjr hard on  the Rev.  iKok  for'writ&         tence, but only the words "in general." Synod meant
the above' contribution. He accuses me of distorting             to have that sentence read  9s follows: "That our sy-
history, and of making -careless and erroneous state-            nod  in general  is agreed with the sentiments expressed,
ments. To this I reply: not guilty. But I wiil not be            in that  setter." This means that it did by no -means
hard, `just as I was -mild in my answer to friend                agree with the  ,entipe contents of the letter. That is
Sc@lder's  "De Kous is  Af". Perhaps, this is due to             the reason why it  Ideemed it unfit  .for service,  -and sent
the fact that I am mellowing with age, but  it-is more           an entirely  ,different letter.
probably to be attributed to the' fact that  1, love brother         3. To this I may add that anyone who was present
Kok as a brother. But I would, nevertheless,' give him           at the sessions of  synod 1948, and who followed the
this piece  df  lorotherly advice, that he must not rush         discussions on the letter in question, will agree that
into print the moment he reads an  artidle, as  .he  evi-' synod certainly `did not approve of the letter sent by
dently did (I received the above contributionthe fourth          the committee, but was rather surprised that such a
or fifth of January),  Abut first give it  som6 quiet            letter could have been written.
thought and consideration.                                           If the Rev. Kok desires that I point out to him the
    Now, I most emphatically deny that I was guilty. essential difference between the two letters, and to
of distortion of history and of  caieless and erroneous          show him why synod could not possibly approve of the
statements in the article "The Stocking is  F&shed".             first, I am willing to do so. But I think the matter
And this I will prove.                                           is self-evident.
    First of all, I  must, say a few words about that                Hence:      1.  .There is no need for correction. 2. I
word  condemn,  on which the Rev. Kok bases his en-              did not distort history, but  presented it very  &or-
tire  article. The Rev. Kok underscores  tliat word, and         rectly: 3. I did not make any  care1es.s  and erroneous
that is, of  :course,   his- writer's right. But it neverthe-    statements.
                                                                                                                   H. H.
less, leaves often a wrong impression, the impression
namely, as if the original author also wanted to place
emphasis on that word and use-  it in the strongest
possjbje  sense of the word. .I did not do so in  mjr  .edi-
torial. If brother Kok will look  up the word in the             CLASiIS  wE.ST of the Protestant Reformed  dhur-
dictionary, he, will find: that it means : "to pronounce         ches will meet in Rock Valley, Wednesday, March  5:
t0 be wrong, to disapprove, to pronounce urifit  for  ser-       1 9 5 2 .   M,  .Gritters,  8.6.  I


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              183

                                                                                God and therefore reflect it in the essential `sense of
     i3U.R  DQCTRIN'E                                                           the word. This, of course, is  impossib1.e. The essential
                                                                                difference between the creature arid the Creator must;
                                .                                               of course,. be maintained. The creature can never re-
 The Hexaemeron or Creation-We& veal or  refiect the  .life of the Lord except in the  crea-
                                                                                turely sense  of' the word. This implies that we, as
                                (11)                                            creature and according to the measure of the  crea-
                                                                                ture, live and reflect the life which God eternally lives
            THE CREATION OF MAN  (4).                                           and knows as God. That man was created in the
                                                                                image of  ,God means, generally speaking, that  h& was
   In our previous article we called  attetition.  to the                       created so as to be able to reflect the life of the living
 concept!: the image of God in  inan, and presented to                          `God in a creaturely sense of the word.
 our readers a  sliort historical review of this concept.
 We also criticized the Roman Catholic presentation                                Thirdly, keeping the above in mind, we may say
 of this image of  ,God and concluded with a few re-                            that Adam was created in that `image of  aGod es-
marks in connection with the distinction: the image                             sentially ; that is, he was created in the image of God
 in broader and in narrower  .sense.                   We  elided our           with and according to his entire  ibeing and existence.
' article `with the  Iquestion:  how, then,, should we con-                     This image consisted of true knowledge, righteous-
 ceive of this image of  ,God in man?                                           ness, and holiness. That the apostle, in Eph.  4:24,
    In answer` to this question, we would remark  iri                           speaks only of righteousness' and holiness is evidently
the first  place that it is not difficult to understand the                     because this knowledge must be understood as consist-
 distinction as such  bettiken "image" and `"likeness"                          ing of true righteousness and holiness. Adam knew
in Genesis  1:26.  .We quote the text  orice more: "`And                        God, knew Him with all the love of his heart and
God  sa,id,`:Let us make man in our image, after our                            mind  and soul.  .He was  perfectly righteous and holy,
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish  of.                         consecrated unto the living God. That this is the
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over  the                            Scriptural  s?gnificance  of the image of  ,God is plain
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping                         from all of Scripture-see Eph.  4~23-24;  Col. 3  :5
thing that  1 creepeth upon  the earth.". These words,                          f.f; Cdl.  3:9-IO; Rom.  12:1+; II  `Car.  7:l; Eph.  5:8;
we understand,  .do not teach us two  diffeyent  things-                        I John  3:1, 2; -John  17:3.  - see "In The Midst of
we refer, of  cour&, to the words, image and likeness.                          Death,." page 107. Besides, Adam was created in  the
Rather, the  bne explains the other. The word `"like-                           image of  *God according to body and soul. Also ac-
ness" is simply a further description of the word                               cording to the body. This receives emphasis when  we
"image." The word "image" might simply mean that                                rea?d that God formed him with His own fingers out
God had a certain idea of man, that He created man                              of the  clvst of the ground. Also from a physical point
according to' that idea, without  necessari.ly implying                         of view man has been wonderfully made.            He has
that' this image or idea consisted of a likeness. In                            been  cyeated so as to love and praise the living God.
other words, the idea which God had of man was                                  However, he also received a mouth which is adapted  ,to
that man should be a likeness. of Himself.  ;                                   serve;man  so that man can speak and sing. Man"s vi-
    ;Secondly,  t h e   idi?a  o f   t h e   i m a g e   o r   li&eness  i s    sion, even' from a natural point of view, far exceeds
simply that man was  ,create.d to be a creaturely reflec-                       the physical kye  .of any other,  eal"thly creature. His
tion of the living God, created so that he, as creature,                        body (eyes, ears,  -ham@,  etc.) have been formed so as
could reflect the very life  df the living God. When                            to be a fit instrument in  tian's service of the living
we  say that a daughter is the -striking image of her                           God:
mother or a. son is the striking image  if his father,                          .This spiritual knowledge, righteousness and holi-
we mean the same thing. `That man was created in                                ness, constitute the  colitent,  the essence of the image
the image' of  `God implies, therefore, that he was                             of  #God  in man. And man reflected- the life of the
created so as to be able to reflect the life of the living                      living God, loved and sought and desired  yhat  ,God
God. This, of course, is true only in a creaturely sense                        loves, seeks, and desires, etc., with all his being. We
of the word. That  man was created in the image of                              also speak of the image of God in man, besides in this
God, or, as we read in the second epistle of the                                essential, spiritual  sens& of the word, in a formal
apostle Peter, (that we are partakers of the Divine                             sense. By this  we mean that man  was naturally con-
nature), must `not be understood in the  e<sential  sense                       stituted so as to be able to reflect this life of God.
of the word. Essentially only the eternal Son of God                            This "formal aspect" does not constitute the  essence
is  the image of the living  Go<. To be the image of                            of the image. Man was created, essentially, an  ima$e-
God  essentially  implies that  ye have that very life  qf                      bearrer,  is that today, although he now is not in the


1 8 4                                   T H E ,   STANDARB  B E A R E R

image of God but in that of the devil. An animal can-                     ADAM'S  R,ELATION  TO, `G O D            '
not praise or serve or' love the Lord. An animal can-
not see the works of  .,Gbd  as the  wbrks of God's hands.      The Covenant of Works.
An animal is not adapted to the life of  ,God, cannot be         ,Although  no% given a  place-in our Reformed Con-
reborn or regenerated. For an animal to be regen-               fessions,  the idea of a "Covenant of Works" is never-
erated would  imply that it would have to be changed            theless  endorsed and  advdcated today by several
from  *an animal to a man. Man, however, was created            theologians of Reformed persuasion; It is, of course,
as adapted to this service of  God. This  capability  ;of       imperative that we call attention to this concept when
being endowed with the image  ,of God  we prefer to             discussing the creation of Adam and the relation in
.call  $he image of God in-a  forwd   sense. Hence,  when_ which he stood to the living  God: To understand what
man  f'ell he retained his own human nature, remained. is meant by this Covenant of Works it is well to listen
essentially an  image-beayer, but  -lost  th,e  aktual image    to those who, advocate and teach this theory: A de-
of  ,God, the, reflection of the life of  ,God. In fact, he     tailed exposition of this doctrine is presented to us by
did not merely lose this image. Man did not become a            Prof. Berkhof in his "Reformed Dogmatics" from
vacuum. He did not merely lose his  trtie knowledge,            which we now  expect to quote extensively.
righteousness, and  holine&: But his image turned                   First,' the professor gives  us  the Scriptural foun-
over into its. opposite. His  know!edge became hatred           dation for the doctrine of a covenant of works. We'
of the living God and love of the devil, his righteous-         now quote from the pages 213-215 as follows: "The
ness became unrighteousness, and his holiness was               widespread denial of  the  covenant of works makes it
turned into corruption. He became a servant of  fhe             imperative to examine its Scriptural foundation with
devil  ; reflecting formerly the image of  .God he is  now      care.
the image of the devil,  atid this is possible because he           1. The Elements of a Co-tenant are- PyeSent in the
remains man. An animal cannot love God  ,but neither            Early  iVarratiz)e. It must be admitted that the term
is it able to hate Him. Man,  ,if you will, now reflects        "covenant" is not found in the first three chapters of
the life of  (God in exactly the opposite way. But, as he       -Genesis, but this is not tantamount  :to saying that they
was  creatkd in  l?a>adise, man was created  in the  image      db no  contain- the necessary data for the construction
of the Lord. This constitutes his high  nobili$y,  his' of a  docrine of the covenant. One would hardly infer
tremendously exalted position.  -                               from  l&e absence of the term "trinity" that the doc-
    And to this we would finally add', in this  cqlmec-         trine of the  Trinity  .is not found  ini the Bible. All the
tion, that man was created with a free will. -This free-        elements of a covenant  a?e indicated in Scripture, and
dom must not be understood in the sovereign sense of            if the elements are present, we are not only warranted
the word, as if man was free in the sense that he  vas          but, in a systematic study of the doctrine, also in duty
independent of  `God and. was therefore master and              bound to relate them to one another, and to give the
captain of his own fate and destiny. This,  we"know,  is        doctrine so construed an appropriate  n&me.             In the
impossible. Never, in any sense of the word, can the            case under  .consideration two parties are named, a
creature, may  ,the creature be presented  PS independent       condition is laid down, a promise of reward for obedi-
of'the Lord. The Lord always does all His good  `p-leas-        ence is clearly implied,. and a penalty for transgres-
ure, also in and  througl!. the moral-rational  .acts of  $1    sion is threatened. It may still be objected that we do
His  moril creatures. This also applies,+ of course, to         not read  of the  two parties as coming to an agreement,
the sin of  Ad+ and Eve in Paradise. However, man               not of Adam as accepting  the terms laid down, but  this
was free in a moral sense, and that according to his            is not an insuperable. objeotion. We do not read of
creation.` As he  zua.s  created  he could will to serve and    such an explicit agreement, and acceptance on the part
love God.  But,.he was also created  ,so that he could          of man  kither in the cases of  Notih and Abraham.  IGod
chodse the evil. This lies  in'the very nature of the           and man  .do not appear as equals in any of these cove-
case. Man, by  natpre, Cannot will the good. The elect          nants.     All  aGod's. covenants are of  the. nature of
in everlasting glory will  never be able to  will, the evil.    sovereign dispositions imposed on man. God is  ab-
They shall be immortal, not be able to sin or die.. But         sqlutely sovereign in His  <dealings  wi,th man, and has
Adam was created so that he could will both, the good           the perfect right to lay down  the*conditions which the
and the bad.  ,Of course,  chqosing the bad he would            latter must meet, in order to  enjoy His favor, More-
intiolve  himself  +d all his  s posterity in a horrible        over Adam was, even  in,virtue of his natural relation-
night of sin and corruption and death.                          ship, in  `duty bound to  obey God  ; and- when the cove-
                                                                nant-relation was established, this obedience also  be-
                        c--.+9-                                 `came a matter of self-interest.  When- entering into
                                                                covenant relations with men, it is always God Who


                                         THE,`STAND&RD                           BEARER                                  185 -
lays  do.wn the terms, and they are very  gracious~ ness which is of the law shall live thereby," but it is a
terms, so that He  has, also from that point of  vjew; a               way by which man can no more find life  ; and the oth-
perfect right to expect that man will assent to them.                  er is the way of faith in Jesus Christ, Who met the
In the ease under consideration  ,God has but to an-                   demands of the law, and is now able to dispense the
nounce he covenant, and the perfect state. in which                    blessing of eternal life.
Adam  liire_d was a: sufficient  g_uarantee  $tr his ac-                   4. The Parallel  Betw.aen  Atdam and Christ.  The
ceptance.                                                              parallel which Paul draws between Adam and Christ
    2. There is a Promise of Eternal Life. Some deny                   in' Rom. 5 :12-21, in connection with the doctrine of
t h a t   t h e r e   iti any  Script&e evidence for such a            justification, can only be explained`  on the assumption
promise. Now it is perfectly true that no such                         that Adam, like  ,Christ, was the head of a covenant.
promise is explicitly recorded, but it is clearly  implied             According to Paul the essential element in justifica-
in the alternative of death. as the result of disobedi-                tion consists in this, that the righteousness of Christ
ence. The clear implication of  the threatened punish-                 is-  -imputed   to us, without any personal work on our
ment is that in- the ease of' obedience death would not                part to merit. it. And he regards this  & a perfect
enter, and this can only mean that life would continue.                parallel to the'-manner in which the guilt of Adam is
It has been objected that this would only  mean  ,a                    imjputed to us. This  .naturally leads us  to  coficlusion
continuation of Adam's natural life, and not. what                     that  Adad also stood in covenant relationship to his
Scripture calls' life eternal.  Btit the Scriptural idea               descendants.                 -
of life is communion with God ; and this is the life                       5. The Passage in Nos.  6:7.  In  Hosea  6~7 we
which Adam possessed, though in his ease it was still                  read  t "But they like  Adani have transgressed the
-amissible. If Adam  stpod.  the test,, this life would be             covenant." Attempts have been made to  .discredit
retained not only,  but would cease to be amissible,                   this reading. Some have suggested the reading "at
and would therefore be lifted to a higher plane. Paul                  Adam," which would  imply  D that some well-known
tells  us explicitly in Rom. `7  :lO that the commandment,             transgression  occuried at a place  called Adam. But
that is the  law, was unto life. In commenting on this                 the, preposition forbids this rendering. Moreover, the .
verse Hodge says: "The law was designed and adapt&d                    Bible makes  .no mention whatever of such a  well-
to secure life, but became in fact the cause of death."                known historical transgression at  Adam.         The Au-
This is also clearly indicated in such p&sage as Rom.                  thorized  Ver,sion  Fenders "like men," which would
10  :,5  ; Gal. 3  :13. Now it is generally admitted that              then mean, in human fashion. To this  i;t may be ob-          -
this glorious  ljromise of unending life  i;cras in no  way            jetted that there is no plural. in the original,' and that
implied in the natural relation in  .which Adam stood                  such a  /statement  would  ,be rather  in&e, since  mati
to God, but  ha@ a different basis. But to  admit  t,hat               could hardly transgress in any other w.ay. The render-
there is something `positive here, a special condescen-                ing "like Adam" is after all the best. It is favored by
sion of God, is an acceptance of the covenant principle.               the parallel passage. in Job  31:33 ; and is adopted by
`Thhre may still. be some doubt as to the propriety of            the  American Revised Version." thus far the  quota--J
the name "Covenant of Works," but there can be no                      tion.
valid objection to the covenant idea.                                     Before-we proceed  @.th the second quotation `from
   3. Basically, the Covenant of Grace is Simply the                   this book of Prof. Berkhof in which he  p'resents to us
Execution of the Original A'greement by Christ as Our                  the various elements of this covenant of works, we
Surety.  He undertook freely to carry out the will of                  wish to make a few remarks with respect to that
God. He  placed Himself under the law, that He might              which we have  quoted.  It is evident from this quota-
redeem them that were under the law, and were no                       tion, it seems to me, that the professor refers to'the
more  inia position" to obtain- life by their  otvn  ftilfill-         Protestant Reformed Churches when he states the ob-
ment of the law; He came to do what Adam failed to                     jections which have been voiced against this doctrine.
do, and did it in virtue of a  covenailt agreement. And                Note, for example,  - how the professor answers the
if this is so,  ,and the  covenant  bf grace is, as far as             objection, that, in case  pf  obediefice, only Adam's  '
Christ is concerned, simply the carrying out of the                    earthly life would., have- been continued. It is simply
original agreement, it follows that the  : latter must                 a fact' that the professor completely fails' to answer
also have  b&en of the nature of a covenant. And since                 this objection. We all agree, of course, that Adam                 i
Christ met the condition of the covenant of works, man                 enjoyed fellowship with  <God. But the assertion that,
can now reap the  .fruit of the  -original agreement by                in case of obedience, Adam's life would cease to be
%aith in Jesus Christ. There are now two ways of life,                 amissible  -and therefore lifted to a higher plane, must
;Which are in themselves  w+ys of life; the one is  the                surely be proven and not merely stated.
way of the law: "the man that doeth the  rightequs-               "       Secondly, the reader should  ilotice that, according

                                                                                               .


               186                                      THE      STAN.DARD                  BEARER
                                               -
              to the quotation above `quoted, the covenant of grace -gracious terms. The fact remains, however, that a  con-
              is basically the same as the covenant of works.  `1'0 be         ception has been taught and spread in the church in
              sure, the writer declares that it is the Lord Who iays           which it is impossible to mistake the meaning of the
              down the terms, that  the& terms are very gracious               `term "condition.!"  The.  pkomise  of eternal life to Adam
              terms, etc. However, these latter expressions means was conditional.                       Does anyone doubt the meaning of
              very little, are simply hollow sounds. It is simply a            the  expres_sion  in the concept : covenant of works?  Td
              fact that, basically, the covenant of grace is  funda-           teach that the promise of God is conditional also  to-
              mentally the same as the covenant of grace. .in the. day would lead us into the very same direction.. Hence,
              covenant of grace Christ is our Head, places Himself  - may we remain true unto the calling whereunto the
              under the law, did what Adam failed to `do, and did              Lord has called us.
              it in virtue of covenant agreement. Would the  pro-                                                                       H. Veldman
             fessor, for example, be prepared to say that, if the
     ._       covenant of grace is. basically the same as the covenant            _
              of works, the covenant of works is basically  tlie same  .c                                           la                    `
              as  th;e covenant of grace ? Of course not ! But,  =then
             _' we need no longer wonder what is meant by the
              covenant of works. In the covenant of grace,  which  is                    THE DAY OF
                                                                                                              -              SWOWS
              basically the same as the covenant of works, Christ
              merited eternal life for us.. In the covenant of  worki
              ,Adam is our head. Hence, the covenant of works-sim- '                    The Protovangel  as the LJnify~ms~ Idea
              ply means that the Lord presented  Adam with the op-                                    of all the Scriptu,ws
              portunity to obtain for himself and all his posterity,
              in the  way  ,of obedience, everlasting life. Besides, the               Let us now examine these  pron-iises. They shed a
              very expression: covenant of  u+N+~, cannot have  an-            a great new light on the promise concealed in the
              c&her connotation..  Terms simply have meaning.          ,       protevangel.
                 Finally, I  would also call the attention of our read-                First we must take notice of this:  &at according
              ers to the place which "conditions" have in this pre-            to the promise as here  compnmicated the Lord would
              sentation of  ,Prof. Berkhof. They  6t  in perfectly with        give to Abraham's seed not only but to  Abraham  as
             -his conception of the covenant. `Conditions, as far as           well that land in which at  the time he was walking up
              the undersigned is concerned, always precede' before             and down and was beholding with his eyes, namely
              something else can follow. This is also true  h&e. In            C&+an. "To  thae  will I give it and to thy seed for-
              this covenant of works a condition is laid  down,  the. ever." The  promise was fulfilled with regard to  Abra-
              condition  of. obedience. And the  plaiti meaning of the         hainjs  seed, the people of Israel. Approximately 430
              writer  and the term here is that this condition must            years thereafter the Lord  entered the rest of Canaan
             %`be met before the promise of eternal life  can be` with this people, but not so with  Abraham. And yet
              bestowed upon Adam. Anyone is able to understand                 the  &ord spoke plainly, "to  thee  will I give this land,"
              this.  Now we all realize  that<regeneration must pre-           also to thee, and not alone  to- thy seed,  was what the
              cede  convtirsi'on, that conversion must preeede the con-        Lord was saying. But can it really be said  tk;at the
            '  scious  enjoyment of justification, that the battle must        Lord  held.Him to His promise as far as Abraham was
              precede the victory, the strife the crown. `This lies in         concerned? `Indeed He did. The  <Lord always keeps
              the very nature of the case. Hence, to teach that  the- covenant trust  w&l-i His people. What then is the
              promise is conditional must mean that something must
.                                                                              solution? It is this: Abraham shall receive that  land-
              precede the fulfillment of the promise. To teach                 h e   a n d   h i s   s e e d - w h e n   -  ,God  shill  h a v e   mad&  i t
              that faith-is the condition for the promise must there-          with all tliings new. In a word, what Abram and his
              fore mean, if terms have any meaning at  al!,  thit we           seed shall receive  is the new and glorified earth, the
              m&t  k,elieve  befou;e  we can obtain the promise. B.u%          Canaan that is heavenly and therefore certainly that
              faith is a part of the promise, -belongs to the promise,         very land where Abram with Isaac and Jacob had
              is an element of it, Gdd's means whereby He bestows              dwelt in tents. For  .esdentiaZly  the two are one. .The
              upon His elect people everlasting life. Terms have               heaietily is not a  tiew creation essentially. It is the
              meaning. It is not fundamentally the question how we             same creation but  with a  mew  forti.
           \' can or do interpret a term, but how a term call be,                      Abram then-he and his seed, the church of the
              interpreted.    The  prbfessor,  speaking here of  condi-        e+ct--shall receive the  *promise. Together with all the
             `tions,  ,also-tellti us that the Lord is absolutely sovereign    saints they are yet to "receive the promise at the ap-
              in His dealings with man and that His terms are very             pearing of Christ..            1
                                                            -
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                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         187

  Hence,- quoting the Hebrews  (11:13),  "these-                .promise. How this latter Scripture must be under-
Abraham and all the  (Old Testament worthies; in fact           stood has just been explained.
all  .God's people-died in faith, not having received              By these revelations and the reactions of Abra-
the promises, but  having'seen'them far off, and were           ham's faith to them, a `new light is shed upon the
persuaded of them, and confessed that  .they' were              promise of the protevangel. For  the first time  God by
strangers and pilgrims in the earth."                           promjse  sets before, the eye  ~of the church the new
   Mark you well, "and confessed  that they were                earth  mlder the type of an earthy land. Whdt was
pilgrims and strangers  in the' earth.`!  The contrast          also  conckaled  in the  pfotevangel-the promise of this
here is  this earth  and the heavenly, heavenly country,        heaven19 land-the  Lold now brings into view.
the  new earth. And  &I the  heaveqly; and not on this           Then there is the Lord's saying to Abraham that
earthly, `including Canaan as to the form it had at the         in his seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.
time  that-Abraham  sojourned in it-Abraham and all ,-These, too, are  mometitous words for, the light they
his seed have their affections set  a?$ the heavenly            shed on the question of the identity of the seed. They
they seek.. This is literally stated:  `~I+t now they-de- ,reveal who this seed is. This seed is Christ. `For in
sire a better country,  that.is  a heavenly."  (11':16)         whom can God bless all the families of -the earth, men
                                                                sinful, lost and undone' in themselves but in one who,
   It  is%plain in  the light of these observations that        in the languagk of the  Heidelberger, is very  mari, and
the term  evedasting  in the divine  communicatibn:             perfectly righteous; and yet more  powekful  thans7all
"For all the land which thou  see&, to thee will I give         creatures; that is,  one who is also  `Gad? And who is
it; and. to  thy seed  fore,veT" indicates not a limited        that one, save our -Lord Jesus Christ?  This  is.not read-
number of ages but age without end,  t&us everlasting.          ing our theology into this  divine comniunication. It is
   And it also ought `to be plain  that the earthy              the full truth contained  in it, and  i,n the Gospel as
Canaan as occupied  bk the  .sked of Abraham 430                first published.  But never before had the Lord spoken
years thereafter was a  pro~phet,ic  type of  ,the  heavenly    thus plainly. With what degree of clarity the truth
country. For let us take notice of this: that; not once         here proclaimed was made to  petietia!? the sanctified
did God say to Abram in just these words : "I  wi11             consciousness of Abraham and God's believing people
give thee a heavenly country." Yet Abraham was very             in general, is impossible to say. But we know and we
actually living by the promise of this heavenly land. `know it from the Scriptures that the promises  of God
And  Ijy the promise of this land he died,  ds has just         were to them pearls of great price. For by these
been shown from the  .Hebrews. It can mean but one              promises they' liired and died.. They embraced them as
thing, namely, that in promising him the land  where            confessing. that  they were pilgrims and strangers in
he was a stranger, the Lord in the final instance was           the earth, which was but  an&her way of their saying
vowing to give him the new `earth  wh.cre God's tab-            that they counted a11 things refuse  ini'order that they
ernacle will be with His people, which must in turn *might gain Christ. It shows that  their  knowledgk of
imply that, as was just said, the earthy Canaan was a           the.truth of their redemption, however `imperfect, was
prophetic picture of the heavknly. If not, Abraham was          adequate, and  that there was real depth to their in-
without the promise of the heavenly  .and then  this see-       sight into it.
ing the proniise of  ,Lhe heavenly afar off as a good              New light was shed on the promise of the  protev-
promised him was a sheer delusion.                              anger not only. by the Lord's dealings with Abraham,
W;e have yet-to take notice  bf the Scripture at                the representative of the seed of the woman, but also
Hebrews 6  il5, where it is stated that Abraham, after          by the  riotings of the seed of the serpent, the serpent's
he had patiently endured, received  the promise.  But           brood. The builders of the tower of Babel  we& this
this looks to the preceding verse which is a promise            seed. The Canaanites  in'festing Canaan in Abraham's
spbken  by the Lord *Himself according to which He              time and who in the 400 years- to come were to fill
will surely multiply Abraham, that is,  $give him a             their measure of iniquity in order  t&t they might. be
seed. The birth of  Isaac: was the initial fulfillment of       destroyed, were this seed. This, of course, is not say-
this promise, and therefore  the  yriter could go on to         ing that. Abraham was the only man on the face of
say, "And so, after he-Abraham-had patiently  en-               the earth who truly feared God. There are plain  .in-
dured,-that is, waited-he  ob;tained the promise,"              dications  in the book-of  ,Genesis that at the time there
that which the promise held forth, namely a  seed.              were  inany more such men as Abraham. We think of
There `is therefore no  .conflict between this. Scripture       Melchiiedek and the people over whom he ruled.
.and the one at Hebrews  11:13,  .which  states that               But  now' further,  Essiu was this seed, Esau the
Abraham in common with all the believers of. the Old            brother of Jacob. The Sodomites, that is, the men of
Covenant died in  faith,  not  .having  received the            the cities of the plain were this seed. The five kings
                   1


                  i


                                                                                              ~-
188            -          _                               T     H        E              STANDARD.,BEARER

 who carried Lot away captive were this seed, this
 reprobated seed., And the  ,struggle between these two
 seeds comes prominently and peculiarly into view in                                                          i'  N  Xl' I  S  -F  `E A  R                    *
 this second epoch of the' series. It comes prominently
 into view in the  recgrded struggle  -between  Esau and                                                         - Looking To The Future
 Jacob in the womb of their mother. It comes into
 view- in the struggle between the three great patriarchs                                                                                1     i
 -Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'-and those  bf the Ca-                                                                                 2.           '
 naanites who were hostile to them and  troublkd them.                                                           T H E   T E A C H E R   ?ROBLEM
 But the Lord suffered no man to do them any  wrong,
 Ps. 195 :ll-15. It, this warfare, between the two seeds,                                                `The next  as;ect of the "teacher problem" which
 comes into view in the war of Abrahani with the  five- . our schools face is closely related to the  procurement-
 kings who  cariied  .away Lot captive. It `comes into                                                aspect which we discussed last time. For  tl$s reason
 view in the  struggle"between Jacob and Esau  and                                                    we choose to discuss it  nexi also. It is the problem of
 Jacob and  Labsin.  But the holy seed wars the war-                                                  KEEPING OUR TEACHE.RS:
 fare of  ,God. It fights  this warfare in His fear and                                                  It  ,lies in  the `very nature of the case that these
 as kept by His power. Thus  in this second epoch  tKe                                                two aspects of  -the teacher problem are very closely
 victory is always this holy seed's. Abraham and Isaac                                                related. The two, namely, the  pr"oczirement  of a  teach-
 and Jacob. triumph over the hostile Canaanites ; for, -ing staff and the maintenance of a  permanent  teach-
 as we saw, God permitted no man to  do- them  wrong.                                                 ing staff, are, in fact, interrelated. On the  one hand,
 He was their sun and shield. Abraham triumphs                                                        it is evident that the problem of  prgcuring teachers
 over the five kings and  ii subsequently blessed by                                                  declines'to the extent that the teaching staff is perma-
 Melchizedek. Jacob triumphs over Esau and  Laban.                                                   nent. The school board that can hang a "no vacancy"
 God gave them the victory. And Christ  h&self ap- ~sign out in regard to -its -teaching staff, that can at
 pears in  thi? section `as confusing the speech of the                                               contract time hand out new contracts to all its teach-
 builders of Babel and of destroying the cities- of the                                               ers and receive them signed after  `a while, that is not
 plain. It means that over and over in this section `the                                             troubled with the mid-term departure of its teachers,
 head of the serpent is seen as being crushed.                                                       is  indeed fortunate : it has no teacher-procuremeat
    In this second section or picture Isaac the, seed                                                problem  ai  all; Arid well may it-do all in its power to
 appears as the wonder child. For he was born from                                                   maintain the  status  quo, when once it has a perma-
 parepts whose bodies in thk point of view of sexual                                                 nent staff of qualified teachers.  `On the other hand, it
 potence were dead.                    Isa& was thus one of whom it                                  is  also true that the school board which gives proper
 must be said that  he'was raised from the dead.                                              ,
          .                                                                                          attention to the procurement  .problem, and which does
                                    (to be continued)                                               . not hastily obtain a number of signed contracts only
                               \                               ,G.  M         .           fOphoffin order to be rid of  that "headache" for another
                                              q   - -~~                                              year, will also be more  su'ccessful  in maintaining a
    ._                                                                                               pertianent teaching staff.
                                     IN MEMORIAM                                                         This aspect of the problem too is a rather general
   The  Mary-Maltha  Society of the Manhattan Protestant Re-                                         olte in the educational field. And especially  in. the
 formed  .Church  hereby wishes to express  its. sincere sympathy                                    past  10 or 15  years%he  incidende of contract-jumping,,'
 to one of its members, Mrs. M.  Vander  Molen,  in the loss of                                      of changing schools, and of departing altogether from
 h e r   s i s t e r ,                                                                               the  teaching profession on  the part of those who once
                                     Mrs. Grace Licha                                                took up this work have been  ,on the increase. Any-
   May the Lord comfort-the bereaved with the assurance that
 He does all things well and san?tify  His way unto their hearts.                                    one reading the daily papers could' read reports from
                                                         P. Vis, Pres.  -.                           all over  otir> country telling us of the troubles which
                                                      Mrs. H. Leep, Sec'y.                           schools  fa'ced because of this  e~ondition. And in gen-
                                                                                                     eral I think that  Fe may  say that the causes contribut-
                                                                                                     ing to this problem for our  own schools are the-same
 TEACHERS  `NEED,J$D--The  Adams  St.  Prot:~Ref.   &ho01  will                                      as those facing all schools, although there may be ex-
-be in need of Teachers for both lower and higher grades for                                         ceptions in some cases, and although  this problem of
 the  comi.llg school year. Application  can be mailed to:                                           maintaining  -a permanent teaching staff  majr also
               _.                    EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEE .                                         assume certain aspects which are peculiar to our own
                                     Adams St. Prot. Ref.  .School
                                     1156 Adams Street, S.E.                                         schools and  .peculiar to a Reforined school board and
                                     Grand Rapids 7, Michigan                           .~           a Reformed teacher.                 _
                                         D


                                        THE  STANDARD  BEARER

    What are some of the  bontributing factors in this       terrupted by the draft after a year or so, or even in
problem?                                                     mid-term, discourages not a few from even entering
    In the first place, there is the generally unsettled     college. It deters some from deciding upon their life's
condition of our times, which has affected also the          work.- They assume an attitude  of, waiting-or they
field  :of education. In our age, as never before, all       enlist. Besides, the same threat of military  service'as-
things seem to be in a state of flux and, simultaneous-      sails some of our male teachers, so that school  ,boards
ly, in a state of uncertainty. In  alarge measure, per-      may even be `loath to engage a man who is eligible
haps, this is due to the international situation. We         for the draft. Perhaps a universal military training
live in an age when the giants of the world are striv-       plan may overcome this to an extent. For if military
ing for mastery. There has  ,been no peace in our            training becomes  sqmething  normal, as. it has been
world, even from the  worldPs point of view, for more        for years already in other countries, so that a young
than a decade. Always the world is teetering on the          man may figure from the outset on losing 18 months
brink of conflict, of world war, if not engulfed in it.      or 2 years to the government at, say,. the age of 18,
Everyone is haunted  by. the fear of a war the like of       then the situation will be more  or.less stabilized. But
which we have not seen `before. And, as a result,  un-       as matters now stand, there is too  mutih uncertainty in
certainty and "jumpiness" seems to characterize all          the foreseeable future of any young man.
of life. It ,is well-nigh impossible to live on an even         ,A second element that seems to be paired with this
keel.  ILife is one big rush, a seeking for something--      upset condition is the economic situation. We have
we know not what. And always there is a feeling of           an inflated and boom economy-something by the way,
dissatisfaction, a search for some elusive pot of gold       which also seems to become the normal thing, at least
at the  f.oot  .of the rainbow.                       .
                                   One can notice this  m    in. our thinking. And as usual in times like these,
almoist every sphere of life. Governments are held in        materialistic tendencies come to the fore. People are
the throes of this tide of fear and uncertainty and          money mad. Everyone is out to grab as much as he
doubt. The  church  has not at all been left untouched       possibly can.  `On the one hand, except where salaries
by the situation and by the manner of thought and            of teachers are standardized, this has led to an in-
action that goes paired with it. One can feel the            creasing incidence  in. the teaching profession also of
clutches of its tentacles in the pulpit and on ec-           changing positions  ~ due to the lure of higher salaries
clesiastical assemblies, as well as mark its devastating     and better working `conditions. ,On the other hand, it
progress in the contemporary history of the church.          has led to-an alarming trend' to neglect and forsake the
Almost one feels that it is a losing battle to raise a       teaching profession altogether. The lure of high wages,
cry of warning against .the seemingly inexorable and         especially in war industries, has beckoned to many
inevitable tendency away from everything that is             teachers in the past years, and has deterred many a
right and sane, against what can only be a mad rush          high school graduate from even training for any pro-
to destruction. Business and industry, commerce and          fession, let alone  -that  of a teacher. The inevitable
agriculture, home and family-all of life is in a state       result is a shortage of teachers and an inability to
of upheaval, so that almost this sort of life begins to      maintain a permanent teaching staff. And the cumula-
seem normal, and a generation is rising, or perhaps          tive result of all these factors is that the problem
has already arisen, which knows no other mode of             grows more difficult as times goes on. As the short-
living.                                                      age. of teachers increases, competition among schools
   We may mention a few of the"' factors which are           becomes more keen, and teachers are more inclined
part  and.parcel of this generally unsettled condition in    to "change schools". Undoubtedly there is an economic
the affairs of men.                                          reason behind all this. It is a fact that the income of
   One of the most direct consequences of it is the          those who are professionally employed has not kept
factor  of, military training. Our young men, as mat-        pace with the income of the laboring man or the  farm:
ters now stand,' cannot map out their educational            er: And from this viewpoint alone, it is understand-
future because of the uncertain factor of that notice        able that the teaching profession is being forsaken
If induction into the armed forces.. Whether it should       and neglected.
3r not, is not the question we are discussing at the            Another element to which we may call attention is
moment. But that the possibiliy and the probability          that of the over-emphasis on training for the trades
If being called to the colors does interfere with the        and technical skills which has found its way into col-
education and the desire for education  on-the part of       leges which formerly were devoted solely to training
nany is a fact which cannot be challenged. The  pos-' for the professions. `Our educational institutions are
sibility of starting one's college training, training to     being geared more and more to the highly industrial-
)e a teacher; perhaps, only to have it abruptly  in-         ized and  merchanized age in which we live, To an  ex-


              190                                 T H E   .STANDARD   B E A R E R

             tent this is undoubtedly necessary. But the fact re-               probably has or will have the. stabilizing influence
             mains that there is a vast difference between a trades             of a family to support and maintain, which  undoubted-
             school and  tiollege. And our colleges should not be .ly serves as a deterrent in the matter of changing
             transformed into trades schools, be the trades ever so             positions and changing vocations. The fact is, how-
             skilled, so that they grant degrees for anything under             ever, that a large percentage, if not the majority, of
             the sun. This tendency has been to the detriment  of          today's teachers are women. Undoubtedly there-are
             the teaching  ,profession  and the teacher supply. It              reasons  -for this,. but just now we are dealing with the
             has been a factor in molding the minds of teachers                 fact rather than the reason. And this fact contributes
             and would-be teachers,. and in casting their minds into            to the teacher problem, without question.
             a different mold than that of the  .teaching profession.               As far as the schools are concerned, the effects of
             The entire emphasis on training for various technical         this  .aspect of the teacher problem are in the main the
             skills, sometimes by means of  "quicky" courses,  with             same as those which we mentioned in connection with
             the lure of `a college diploma and even a degree dangled      the teacher-procurement-problem. *Only one we would
             at the end of a' course, and the materialistic promise             add. It is this. The lack of a permanent teaching
       of a more or less dignified position and especially of                   staff plays a large part in preventing a  schooi from
             high wages  asan added attraction, is detrimental.            functioning as a unit.               Your children are not just
                It  isrwith a certain amount of trepidation that I         attending one grade at a time  ; they are attending
             mention what undoubtedly is a major contributing              a whole school. -And the principal and all the teachers
             factor to the inability  "to maintain a permanent and         are responsible for the pupils not only one grade at a
             stabilized teaching staff, namely, the fact that to a         time, but as long as they are in school. The school
             large degree our schools are staffed by women teach-          whose- teaching staff is constantly changing will find
             ers. With all respect to the small percentage of de-          it difficult to  .funetion in this respect. When 50 per
             voted women who have made teaching `their life's              cent of the staff leaves one year, and the other 50  .per
             work (and I am-not too old to remember fondly some            cent leave the second year, the pupil suffers. He
             of such women teachers whom I did not always  ap-- faces an entirely new school within two  -years' time.
             preciate as a child), and with due regard to the fact         Besides, the  temporay teacher may give due attention
             that if it were not for women teachers  `cbming to the        to his  class, but he will not give due attention to his
        rescue many a school would be teacher-less, I never-               career as a teacher  *of a certain grade or a certain
             theless maintain that on the whole the school which           subject in a particular school and a peculiar  corn-
             has  `a larger percentage  .of male teachers will also        munity. He cannot, because he has no  care&r to at-
             have a more permanent teaching staff.:  ' For the facts       tend to. A temporary teacher, for example, will not
             are these. By far the majority of our  -women teachers        very  `likely' contribute anything worthwhile to the
             either entertain marriage-plans at the time they begin        development of a Protestant Reformed "philosophy"
             to teach, or they are easily tempted to give  LIP teach-      of education, or to the application of our principles in
             ing in favor of marriage when the opportunity pre-            any branch of education at  -all.
             sents itself. And this means that teaching is some-           .       If we  -bear these and other effects in mind, the
             thing temporal for them, rather than a career. And            problem is serious.
             such temporary teachers are an asset to the extent                    And it is a problem for teachers, for would-be
             that they furnish a school with teachers for a time,          teachers, and for boards ; but it is also a problem for
             but they are a liability in two respects. On the one          you, the parents. What can you do about it?
             hand, they prevent the stabilization of the teaching.                                                           H. C. Hoeksema
             staff. And on the other hand, their determination                                         -:-:---T-
             to teach only temporarily must needs color all their
             work.    It affects -their diligence  @ and initiative, as                          WEDDING  ANNIYBRSARY
                                                                                 IOn  January 1,  1952,  o,uus  beloved parents,
             well as their long-range. objectives and ambitions.                                   Mr.  and  Mrs. 
             They have a "job" for a little `while, rather than a                                                     R.  Re&wus
                                                                           celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.
             life's calling and work.    The male teacher; however,              We, their grateful children, humbly ascknowledge  God's good-
             ismuch more likely to be entering his life's work when        ness in that He  has spared them for eachother and for us
       `he begins to teach. He will treat it as such, and will,            these years, and our hope and prayer for them is God's bles-
        therefore, all. other things being  equal? be. more per-           sing in all their way, and that if such is His will they may yet
        manent, more diligent, have  .a longer range point  .of            be  .spared  many more years for eachother and for us.
       view, devote his entire  .life to his work, rather than                                                Mr. and Mrs. Edw.  -R.  Bruirnsma
                                                                                                              Mr. Louis R. Regnerus
        sell a certain amount of his time for a certain amount                                                Mr. and Mrs. Jacob W. Regnerus
        of the school's money. Besides,. the male teacher most             Oak Lawn, Illinois            _      and five- grxndchildren.
,'      _                       . .


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E - A R E R                                                 . 191

                                                                (cliff  ereni interpretation  given of this commandment
=F%~.M  HOL'Y  W R I T by the Jews and by their tradition than what is given
                                                                by Jesus here in Matthew 5  :27-30. The, Jews simply
                                                                made this commandment refer to the, physical act of
             Exposition  of  Matthew  5:27-30                   fornication; they did not make it apply to the sin-                   ,
                                                                ful desires from which the act springs. They did not
    It is of great importance to bear in mind, Jesus            understand  :that the outgoings of man are from the
insisting, that we understand that He did not come to heart; that we are as are our hearts. Make. the heart
destroy the law and the prophets but to fulfil them.            good and the fruit is good, and make the heart: evil
Not one iota or tittle of the law shall fail; heaven and and there' will be evil fruit. By the fruits we know
earth will pass away but the Word of God stands.                what the heart is like even as by the water what is
    This, however,  ,does not mean that we are under. the nature of the fountain from which it springs, and
law, that we are to be saved by works of law that we            from the quality and amount of the harvest what is
perform; truth is, that by works of law no flesh is             the nature of the soil. That  is.simply a law of nature.
ever justified  .before God. That is the very heart and         Jesus points out these truths to us bringing forth
keynote of the Gospel-tidings. But even so we are               old and new treasures out of the law and the prophets.
to perform good works since when Christ redeems                    And what is this different interpretation?
us by His blood, He also renews  us  by His Spirit ac-             It'is the  htruth that adultery must be sought not
cording to His image  ;  .good works are the fruit of sal-      simply  in the act of a man committing fornication in
vation in Christ in our lives. They are the infallible          the  very~deed with "thy neighbors wife", but that it
fruits of election. It belongs to the ways of the e-            must be seen already in the first  sinful  desire; there-
lect to walk in all good works. `For grace  ,does not           fore Jesus says: But I say unto  yoy that whosoever
abolish the law but it establishes it.                          looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed
   This fundamental truth of the (Gospel should be              adultery already with her  in  his heart!              _-
kept very clearly before our minds lest we fall into               It is from the heart that all- things spring  !-
the error of legalism on the one hand, and  antinom.-,             The thoughts that are  OLWS  do not simply spring
ism on the other hand.                                         forth from the mind.        It is never the teaching of
   That is also true in regard to the proper under-             Scripture that thoughts are simply those of a logical
standing of the Seventh Commandment.                            content; thoughts are always ethically qualified.
   It is to this  com&&dment that Jesus calls the at-           Thoughts that are in our hearts must be revealed in
tention of His hearers on one  of* the slopes of a moun-        their ethical nature.  J&us  was set as a sign in Israel,
tain in <Galilee. The text literally reads as follows:          we -read, in order that the  thoughts of  maxy hearts
`Ye have h,ecwd that it was said, Thou shalt not com-           be revealed. Thus the aged Simeon speaks prophesy-
mit cdultery: but I scqy unto you, th.at' every o?ze that       ing concerning Jesus in the  ,temple. And it is  swell to
looketh on a woman to lust a;fter her bath committed            bzar this in mind.
cddtery with. her already in his heart.-  And if  th*y             Back even of these thoughts of the heart are the
.?$ght eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out and desires, the affections. . In a good and righteous man
cast it from th,eti: fog it is pyofitnble  to thee thnt one     these desires are the natural and pure longings and
of thy nzembeys  should pedh and not that thy white' affections of the  soul.  As soon as a man is sinful,
body be cast into ,hall. And if thy right haxd ca,xseth         and we all are-by nature, then these desires are  wrong1
thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for         sinful and they are' lusts.  LL&S  are simply evil de-
it is profitable for thee that one  oif thy  mewtbers           sires, desires contrary to the law of  r God. It is of
shod@ perish, a& not thy w.hole bocly. go i&o hell."            these desires that Jesus is  here,speaking.     These evil ,
In this passage there are various elements that                 desires are lusts. And in connection with the Seventh
should be set forth in bold relief. They are the fol-           Commandment these lusts are carnal, they are the
lowing :                                                        evil lustings of the flesh and of the eyes. These  lust2
   Firstly, we should notice that Jesus  .lets the text, are back of the-deed of fornication.
of Exodus 20  :14 stand just. as it was spoken by the              Certainly  `this command forbids this fornication
Lord from Mount Sinai and written, upon the Tables              on the part of a man.        No man may  cast lustful
of Stone.     It is true, against this the Scribes and          glances at a woman. Certainly this does not merely
Pharisees have no complaint. They too insist very               mean that only a married man may not look at his
much on the accuracy of the text.`. Both say : Thou             neighbor's wife in lust, but it also means that an
shalt not commit adultery!                                      unmarried bachelor may not look thus  at an unmar-
   Secondly, we should notice, that there is a  very           ried maiden.     The "whosoever' looketh" makes  $his


 192  ~                                     T    H    E               S,TANDARD  -Bj!RT;R-.-r--
                                  -    -    -                                                                                          -
 prohibition universal. This  .is also indicated by the                  the body is a  cure, for the sin of evil desires. The
 fact that the text speaks of "a woman". It does not                     eunuch as well as the blind and the  mained still  have
 make a bit of difference whether she is married to                      to fiight against these lusts or  p'erish in them. Be-
 another or not. Anyone casting lustful glances at                       sides Jesus did not mean to say that the eye sins  OY
 a woman. commiteth adultery with her in his heart.                      the hand. It is we who sin by our hand and by  0~11
 Such is the clear teaching of Jesus.                                    eyes. And the lust is back of  ,the eye. The eye sim-
     The question may be raised whether Jesus means                      ply is the medium of lust and the hand the medium  of
 to exclude the woman from this prohibition. We are                      the act. And so we do not believe that  Scripture
 of the conviction that such is not the case.  ,Neither                  would understand this in the literal sense of the term;
may a woman cast lustful glances toward a man, nor,                     ,Jesus does not advocate literal amputation of limbs
 and that is still more denatured, lustful glances to-                   a n d   s e n s e - o r g a n s .   .
 ward another woman. We must dare to confess with                            W h a t   t h e n ?
 the Heidelberg Catechism that this Seventh Command-                         We believe that the eye stands for  the. organ where-
 ment teaches that "all  uncleaness is accursed of God".                by the lust conceives and the hand stands for the act
 As to the question why Jesus  dire&s  this prohibition                 -of lust in its execution. The Word of God, spoken
 to man we may answer, that this is the usual manner                     here is exactly as it is told us  conekrning' the fall of
 of speaking in Holy Writ. The law is directed to man.                   of Adam and Eve in Paradise. We read that the
 He is the. head of  thewife and is the one  who is ad-                  stages through which the. fall went were  ,the follow-
 dressed representatively. Thus it is here in this case.                 ing: 1. The desire for Satan's word, 2. Looking at
     When the commandment is thus viewed it is also                     the tree that it was good for the- eyes,  `3. Taking of
 evident that no one can keep his eyes from vanity in                   the fruit and giving it to Adam. Thus it is also here
 his own -strength so that  ethey will "look right on".                  in the language of Jesus. The lust of the heart, the
 Well may we say with Job "I have made a covenant                        conception with the eye and the act of adultery. With
 with mine eyes". And -we are also reminded of what                     this we can compare also James  `"but-  each man is
 John says of the lust of the flesh and of the eyes, and' tempted when he is. drawn away by his own lust and
 `that Peter describes evil men as having "eyes: full of                 enticed. Then the lust when it hath conceived beareth
 a d u l t e r y " .                                       5.            sin, and sin when  it is finished (full-grown) beareth
     How are our eyes,  ,dear reader?                                    death". James 1: 14-15.
     J&us  rather presupposes that we have spiritual                         No, we must not think, that Jesus advocates liter-
 eye-trouble.           That our eyes cause us to stumble is            al amputation. The right eye is wholly clean and the
 implied in the conditional clauses here employed in                    right hand only performs righteousness when the heart
 the text.       The "if thy right eye offend thee. . .  ."             is righteous. So we must purify our hearts, circum-
 presupposes that such is indeed the case with  us. The                 size  our  hearts and not our foreskins. We must turn
 same is also presupposed  in. the next clause where we                 unto the  .Lord. in sincerity and truth. Then and then
 read "if thy right hand offend thee . . .  ." The eye                   only do we  reallyhmake the evil eye `to keep us from
 ,and the hand are here, viewed as, being very really                   stumbling and the hand likewise.
 offending members. It is at once humbling and en-                           We may we pray with the Psalmist : "Let the
encouraging to notice that presupposition in the text.                  words of my mouth and the meditation of my  .heart
 It teaches us that we need to come a long way to ar-                   be acceptable in Thy sight,,  10 Lord, my Strength and
 rive at perfection, but that yet the situation is not                  my Redeemer  !"                                                 `G. Lubbers
hopeless for us in Him, Who has come to fulfill the                                                       -:-:.-
 law and the prophets..                                                                                   I          N                 ME2MORIAM
     It is not hopeless?                                                   Donderdag, 13. December 1951, heeft bet den Heere behaagd
                                                                        uit ons niidden  te nemen  pnae  geliefde  echtgenoot,  vader en
     No  *-it is not, because the offending eye can be                  grootvader,
 plucked out, and the offending hand can be cut off.                                                      CjorneIius   Wassink
     What does this mean to pluck out the right eyes                    in den  ouderdom van 70 jaar.
 and to cut off the right hand?                                            Schodn wij hem  missen,  mogen wij  tech gelooven  dxt zijn
                                                                        sterven,  Zen tot gewin was, om  zonder  zonde  en strijd zijne
     Must this be taken in the literal sense of the term?               HeeTe  te dienen. Moge zijn heengaan ons tot een'spoorslag zijn
 We think not. In the first place because such is never                 om ons huis .te  bereiden.,
 the instruction of Holy Writ  elsewher-e when speak-                                                            De bedroefde  familie,
 ing of the flesh that must be crucified  .in the power                                                              Mrs.  8Cornelius   Wassink
                                                                                                    .)               Mr. and Mrs. John Brummel
 of the  Holy$ Spirit. Rom. 8  :13.`. `Nowhere does  .the                                                             Mr. and Mrs.  Arend  Wassink
 Bible teach that literal amputation of members of                       Hull; Iowa                                   en 6 kleinkinderen


